Update: The Government consultation period ended on 29th May. Thank you to everyone who took part. Please click the link below to email your MP about stopping new renewable subsides for tree burning power stations.
Click here to contact your MP about stopping new renewable subsidies for tree-burning power stations
In the UK, around £1.3 billion in renewable power subsidies a year are paid to burn far more wood than the country produces for electricity. This is bad news for forests and wildlife, for the climate, and for communities living close to biomass plants or to pellet or woodchipping plants supplying them, who are exposed to more air pollution. Our campaign against those subsidies continues. This is money that would otherwise – and should – be going to finance wind, solar and tidal and wave power, i.e. the cleanest and lowest-carbon sources of renewable energy we have.
In 2018, the government finally introduced stricter greenhouse gas limits and minimum efficiency standards for biomass plants, which has stopped even more subsidies being awarded to burning wood in power plants. This followed many years of campaigning by Biofuelwatch and our allies. But now, those vital gains could be at risk:
The welcome changes in 2018 were only written into subsidy rules that applied in 2019. Now there is consultation about the next round of renewable power subsidies – and it says nothing about applying the same rules in future! We are asked whether we want to stop new subsidies for coal-to-biomass conversions, which we do – but nothing at all about subsidies for big new biomass plants.
Please participate in this important consultation and ask the government to close this loophole and stop new high-carbon inefficient plants from being built at public expense. Below is a draft text you can send – but personalising your message will make it more effective! Please share this important alert with friends and family. Note the consultation deadline is now 29th May. Many thanks!