by René Lavanchy
CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling faced a mixed response from green energy companies this week on his Budget measures to promote growth and help create 400,000 new jobs in the low-carbon energy sector.
Businesses warned this week that those jobs are not being created, and that some companies are cutting staff.
Jeremy Leggett, chairman of solar power company Solarcentury, said: “The policy reality at the moment is that we’re losing jobs in this sector. I know three companies where people have been laid off. This is in the fastest growing energy sector in the world.”
He called on the Chancellor to restart a subsidy scheme for households and companies to install solar panels, which has run out of money. Mr Darling instead chose to announce £45 million in subsidy for other micro-generation technologies, such as wind power.
The Budget also promises to stimulate £9 billion of investment in offshore wind farms, in a move likely to appease the wind energy sector which has complained of “shovel ready” projects being held up by the credit crunch.
