This Order amends the Renewables Obligation Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 (“the 2009 Order”) and makes transitional provision.

The 2009 Order imposes an obligation (“the renewables obligation”) on all electricity suppliers which supply electricity in Northern Ireland. Suppliers must produce, by a specified day, a certain number of renewables obligation certificates (“NIROCs”) in respect of each megawatt hour of electricity that each supplies to customers in Northern Ireland during a specified period known as an obligation period. The renewables obligation is administered by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation who issue NIROCs to renewable electricity generators in respect of their eligible renewable output.

Article 2 substitutes a new Article 27 of the 2009 Order to define a qualifying new solar photovoltaic generating station. Article 3 amends Article 27A of the 2009 Order to set the level of support for qualifying new solar photovoltaic generating stations.

Article 4 makes transitional provision in respect of the period prior to 1st October 2015.

An explanatory memorandum is available alongside this Order on www.legislation.gov.uk.