“This Assembly notes the Government’s recent consultation on its review of the Feed-in Tariff scheme, the subsidy scheme for the generation of renewable electricity from small-scale installations.

This Assembly further notes that

i)  London currently has the lowest amount of installed solar power capacity of any region in the UK, but among the greatest potential to generate solar power; and that

ii)2,740 people are currently employed in the solar industry and its supply chain in London according to recent research published by the Solar Trade Association.  

This Assembly is concerned that the 87 per cent cut to the Feed-in Tariff for solar energy proposed by the Government will have a disproportionate impact on London’s ability to generate energy from local and renewable sources.

This Assembly also notes the comments made by the Mayor of London on 16 September 2015 that “it would be wrong if the cut in the feed-in tariffs actually stops people from investing in solar because it clearly has many attractions.”

This Assembly regrets the Mayor’s refusal so far to lead a cross-party delegation of interested parties to meet with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to discuss the impact of the Government'sproposed changes to the Feed in Tariff on the viability of the solar industry in London.

Should the Mayor continue to refuse to lead such a delegation by the end of the week (Friday 6^th November 2015), this Assembly calls on the Chair of the London Assembly, in consultation with Party Group Leads and the Environment Committee, to write to the Secretary of State requesting a meeting on behalf of Assembly Members and London-based solar companies.”