Government to appeal judge’s decision over solar panel subsidies

THE UK Government will go to the Court of Appeal today in a bid to overturn a High Court ruling that has hit its plans to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne wants to reduce feed-in tariff subsidies (FITs) - payments made to households and communities that generate green electricity through solar panels - on any installations completed after 12 December last year.

Just before Christmas a judge ruled that the minister was “proposing to make an unlawful decision”.

Mr Justice Mitting’s decision was a victory for environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth (FoE) and two solar companies - Solarcentury and HomeSun - who said the plans to halve subsidies were creating “huge economic uncertainty”.

FoE executive director Andy Atkins said the government’s proposed cuts had “cast a huge shadow over the solar industry, jeopardising thousands of jobs”.

But today Mr Huhne will ask three appeal judges - Lord Justice Lloyd, Lord Justice Moses and Lord Justice Richards - to hear his challenge to the High Court ruling as a matter of urgency.