Ecotricity chief Dale Vince attacks government's "double standards" over subsidies

Founder of green energy supplier Ecotricity, Dale Vince, has attacked the “double standards” at the heart of the government’s energy policy, illustrated by its decision to cut subsidies to on-shore wind turbines from next April.

Mr Vince contrasted the way in which subsidies to on shore wind generated energy have been cut whilst the government has gone out of its way to support the fossil fuels and fracking industries.  

Mr Vince compared the cutting of subsidies to wind technology on the basis of saving money and wanting technolgies to stand on their own feet, with the 35 years of new subsidies given to the nuclear industry and billions being provided for oil and gas to support it against falling energy prices.

The Ecotricity founder quoted an IMF report that shows Britain subsidising the fossil fuel industry by £30 billion a year. “That’s £1,000 per household”, compared to the £10 per household subsidy given to onshore wind energy generation.

Mr Vince contrasted the hostile attitude to onshore wind energy to the way in which the government is bending over backwards to help the fracking industry. “Fracking is probably the most unpopular of all energy sources, planning regulations and property law have been changed to make it easier, environmental standards have been dropped – even the requirement to tell someone you intend to frack under their house has been removed,” said Mr Vince, who pointed out that there has been no local veto provided on fracking activities. “It’s been promised the most generous tax regime in the world. These are double standards plain and simple and they show an incredible bias towards fossil fuels and away from renewables.”

* Vince blasts Tories double standards on subsidies - Morning Star, 22/6/2015