Jonathon Porritt told delegates at the Large Scale Solar UK conference in Kelham Hall, Nottinghamshire that the rumoured review of support for large-scale solar was politically motivated.
Responding to rumours that the government is preparing a review of RO support for solar, Porritt said: “Any of those voices that say that we need to go all the time for the lowest cost and band in the volume – those are dangerous voices that need to be seen as enemies to the success of this industry.”
Porritt added: “That sends out ripples of concern – concern that this government may, for whatever reason you would like to conjecture about, be on the point of doing to large-scale solar what it so idiotically did to small-scale.
“To let one's policy be driven by a short-term totally expedient fear of UKIP, rather than a long-term commitment to building the interest of the companies involved in this sector, and the future of the UK.”
Porritt reminded the UK solar industry that, despite the impression that politicians might project, the industry is a force for good. He said: “You are part of what is indisputably the single most important challenge that humankind has ever faced – ever faced. If we don’t do this decarbonisation story we are in a lot of trouble.”
Watch the full keynote below: