Ministers and Investor representatives are urging the UK Government to change course on renewable energy policies.

The UK dropped to 13th place on the Ernst & Young Renewables Country Attractiveness Index – it’s lowest ranking to date following the raft of U turn policy changes. Government driven adverse policy changes to planning and subsidies has resulted in new wind farm and solar PV project development slide to a halt. The UK was a healthy 5th place in 2013 but dropped to 11th place last year with around 2.3 GW of energy projects abandoned.

Scottish Energy News reported that Energy Minister Fergus Ewing issued a stark warning to the Conservative government, saying “they must change course on renewable energy policy or they run the very real risk of jeopardising UK energy security.”

“The UK Government’s wrong-headed ideological attack on renewable energy threatens to undermine the good work being done in Scotland to grow renewable generation – they must change course and give the renewables industry the support it requires to flourish.”

Ernst & Young report that Government justifications for policy changes on the basis of cost are under scrutiny with onshore wind and solar being considered the UK's cheapest renewable energy sources. Ernst & Young believe that the lack of clarity and direction around UK energy policy may also undermine investment in other areas such as new nuclear, CCS and shale gas, notwithstanding greater subsidy incentives for these technologies.

Meanwhile the US has regained 1st place on the Renewables attractiveness list, overtaking China and India. Chile takes 4th place and Germany 5th. Brazil and Mexico have risen to 6th and 7th places with Mexico’s first power auction seeing more than 2GW of wind and solar Power Purchase Agreements awarded.