Welcoming the intervention, Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of the Solar Trade Association said: “It is vital that the government’s recovery package aligns with its obligation to tackle climate change and deliver a resilient, net zero economy.”
The first CCC principle calls on the Government to “use climate investments to support economic recovery and jobs,” and highlights that “many are labour-intensive, spread across the UK and ready to roll out as part of a targeted and timely stimulus package.”
8GW pipeline of solar projects
Chris Hewett said: “The Government must not miss this golden chance to place renewables at the heart of the recovery. Solar and energy storage in particular offer swift, job-intensive opportunities for growth, with average ground-mount sites able to be built in a few months, and rooftop installations often taking only a day or two. There is an 8GW pipeline of solar projects ready to be unlocked.”
High solar power outputs in recent weeks have helped to deliver a new coal-free record for the grid. Coal power plants have been offline since 00:00 on Friday 10 April 2020, and since then the UK has seen enough solar power put on the grid to make more than 34 billion cups of tea. (mfo)
