Treasury lays out 鈥榮trike price鈥 for electricity from new renewable power plants

sustainability useful

The government has unveiled the level of financial support it will give to new renewable energy generation projects.

Setting out the detail of the government鈥檚 拢100bn infrastructure plan today, Treasury secretary Danny Alexander said that the so-called鈥檚trike price鈥 of power from offshore wind under the government鈥檚 energy reforms would be 拢155 per MW/hr, falling to 拢135 by 2018.

To incentivise investment in renewable energy plants under the government鈥檚 energy market reforms, the government offers to guarantee the price of the energy generated from them for a number of years. If the wholesale price of the energy is lower than the 鈥渟trike price鈥 the government makes-up the difference - if it is higher it claws the money back.

Alexander said: 鈥淲e set the price at the level we need to bring forward sufficient investment, but not a penny higher.鈥

He said he expected the reforms to incentivise investment in building up to 18 GWs of offshore wind energy capacity.

The prices are roughly similar to the support currently given through the Renewable Obligation Certificate.

The Treasury also announced it will start its capacity auctions, where electricity plant developers bid to build extra capacity or to reduce demand in exchange for funding, in 2014.

Draft strike prices in 拢/MWh

Technology2014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19
Onshore wind1001001009595
Offshore wind155155150140135
Tidal305305305305305
Wave305305305305305
Biomass105105105105105
Large solar125125120115110