BWEA: GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUPPORT QUICK GRID ACCESS FOR RENEWABLES

BWEA, UK's leading renewable energy association, today called on the Government to support EU Commission's wording of the Renewables Directive. The directive could have long lasting implications on the take up of renewables in the UK and reaching climate change targets. BWEA supports the new Directive containing a duty on member states to introduce priority access 'or equivalent measures' for renewables.

Nic Rigby, Head of BWEA Grid Strategy Group and Head of Strategy at npower renewables, emphasised that the wind industry is firmly behind "Connect and Manage" proposals: "Renewables need speedy and reliable connection to the grid system. The wind industry has long called for a system of 'connect & manage, where clean power from renewable generators, such as wind farms, can get access within time it takes to get planning consent."

"Connect and Manage" would encourage the take up of renewables, as renewable energy suppliers could install capacity knowing that it will be connected as soon as the build-out is finished. According to a recent report 9.3GW of projects were currently waiting to be connected.

"The EU Directive's priority access provision is mainly designed for the continental market, which is structured differently from the UK's. However, unless we get a robust and genuine connect and manage system here in the UK, we will need strong EU legislation to guarantee that the grid is opened up and renewables are not left at the back of the queue," concluded Rigby.