Draft letter from your group to your local MP
Dear………………………
Renewable energy and jobs in ......................
The Government has recently announced that a key policy supporting renewable energy is to be
cut. This will be devastating for businesses in your constituency [insert some examples] – ill-thought
out changes to policy could lead to the complete closure of companies like these. [Community
energy projects planned for your constituency are also in jeopardy (include if you know of any
examples – and give their names]
At issue is the Feed-in Tariff (FIT), a policy that the [Conservative/LibDem Party campaigned hard for
in the last Parliament / Ed Miliband brought in when he was Secretary of State for Energy and
Climate Change (delete as appropriate)]. This policy was designed to support early installers of
renewable energy systems in order to build a viable industry and increase volumes of sales and
bring prices down.
The solar industry has responded incredibly well. Across the country 25,000 jobs have been created
in two years, despite the current economic situation. These jobs include high-tech manufacturing
jobs but also significant numbers of installation jobs spread right across the country to get the
panels onto buildings. This has been a real success story – here in [your town] there are at least [x]
other companies providing clean energy for households and businesses in the area.
Tariff rates were of course always designed to reduce as volumes increase and prices fall – the
whole principle of Feed-in Tariff is that they taper away as renewables become established. And in
just two years, the industry has delivered cuts of around 30% in installation costs, and supported
tariff cuts of that order. However the proposed cuts of over 50% would devastate the industry,
slashing volumes and forcing businesses to lay off the trained personnel who have delivered these
price cuts.
With the dramatic price falls already seen, many independent commentators and analysts believe
that solar could reach “grid parity” – where solar provides homes with power at the same price as
the National Grid does – in around 5 years time. They are also helping to make the country less
dependent on imported gas – the volatile price of which is the main driver behind recent fuel bill
increases. Yet they currently add less than £1 per year to each households fuel bill.
I would like you to ask you to [visit/meet] local solar energy [businesses/employees/community
energy projects] with us, and discuss the feed-in tariff policy and see first-hand the benefits to local
businesses and the community that it has delivered. An urgent meeting would enable us to discuss
how you might be able to protect jobs and this new, green and growing industry in your
constituency.
Yours sincerely,
[insert name of group]