Proposals that the level of incentives for the small-scale onshore wind sector in Northern Ireland should remain at 4 ROCs until at least 2017 have been greeted with relief by the local industry.
The new announcement from Northern Ireland’s Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster follows a year-long review by the department into subsidies for renewable energy under the NI Renewables Obligation (NIRO).
While the proposal will be open for consultation until September, Philip Rainey, chief executive of the small-scale wind energy company Simple Power said today that he welcomed the news.
Mr Rainey said: “In her review, the minister recognises that small-scale wind development, in the form of single wind turbines, is one of the most straight-forward and accessible forms of renewable energy generation we have.
“Maintaining incentives at 4 ROCs will provide not only certainty, but also sufficient time for investment to take place and to provide a credible level of generating capacity.”
He added: “We believe the small-scale wind will play a very significant role in helping NI reach its renewables targets and in driving transformation of the local electricity market, providing energy security which will ultimately protect local consumers from rising fossil fuel prices now and in the future.”
The installation of a wind turbine on a farmer’s land can dramatically improve their business cash flow and viability, according to the professional services firm, PwC, which recently estimated that this sector could be worth at least £10 million a year to landowners and farmers across Northern Ireland over a 20-year period.