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Local councils should be set carbon budgets to help encourage community-scale renewable power, green campaigners have urged.
Friends of the Earth said that without a greater focus on medium-scale renewables such as hydroelectric plants and wind turbines, the UK risked missing EU targets to produce 15 per cent of energy from green sources by 2020.
The environmental group wants the Government to set fair targets for local authorities based on the potential they have to cut emissions in their area and local circumstances to ensure Town Halls drive forward efforts to boost renewables and cut emissions.
And they want to see the “feed-in tariff” system, which pays people and organisations for electricity generated from small-scale renewables such as solar panels amended to encourage medium-sized projects as well.
According to a report for Friends of the Earth, the UK is making progress on small-scale renewable generation and large-scale green power such as offshore wind, but a greater focus is needed on medium-scale generation to hit the renewables target.
In addition to supporting councils in driving forward renewables, the report recommends replacing the renewables obligation, the scheme which requires energy companies to invest in green energy, with a feed-in tariff which delivers more certain returns on investment.
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