Section 24: Financial assistance for energy purposes
91.This section enables financial assistance for specified energy purposes to be provided. The section substitutes a new Article 61 of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. Funding may be provided for the purposes described in paragraph (2) of the Article, if the department is of the opinion that the form and amount of the assistance to be given is reasonable in all the circumstances. References in the Article to the department are to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
92.The specified purposes for which funding may be given include: securing a diverse and viable long-term energy supply; promoting efficiency and economy in the generation and supply of energy; promoting the development of renewable energy sources or technologies for such energy production and related matters; promoting research and development; limiting or reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions; and other purposes which may be prescribed by regulations.
93.Paragraph (4) of the Article provides that funding may be given in such form and subject to such conditions as the department considers appropriate. Paragraph (5) sets out examples of the form in which funding may be provided (such as by way of grants, loans or indemnities or by way of investment). Paragraph (6) gives examples of the conditions to which the giving of assistance may be made subject. These include conditions as to repayment and conditions requiring payments to be made to the department. For example, the recipient of assistance may be required to pay to the department a proportion of the income it receives from the use by it of the assistance; such payments need not be capped at the level of the assistance given.
