The Renewables Obligation Closure (Amendment) Order 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Renewables Obligation Closure Order 2014 (“the Closure Order”).

Article 2 inserts new definitions into the Closure Order, including for “large solar pv station”. These are generating stations which generate electricity from sunlight and which have an RO capacity of more than 5 megawatts. The RO capacity of a solar pv station is the original capacity of the station, together with any additional capacity added to the station before 1st April 2014 and any additional capacity registered under a renewables obligation order.

Article 3 inserts articles 2A to 2D into the Closure Order. The new article 2A prevents renewables obligation certificates (“ROCs”) from being issued for electricity generated by large solar pv stations after the solar pv closure date of 31st March 2015 (or if later, the last day of the month in which this Order comes into force). A number of exceptions to this restriction on the issue of ROCs are set out in the new articles 2B to 2D.

The new article 2B sets out various exceptions for electricity generated after the closure date using the original capacity of a large solar pv station.

The new article 2C sets out an exception for electricity generated after the closure date using additional capacity which was added to a large solar pv station on or before 31st March 2016. The solar pv station must have been accredited on or before 13th May 2014 and the documents specified in the new article 2C must have been submitted to the Authority in relation to the station.

The new article 2D sets out two other exceptions for electricity generated after the closure date using additional capacity added to a large solar pv station. In both cases, the solar pv station must have been accredited on or before the closure date. One of the exceptions is for additional capacity added to the station on or before the closure date. The other exception is for additional capacity added to the station on or before 31st March 2016, as long as the documents specified in the new article 2D have been submitted to the Authority in respect of that additional capacity.

Article 4 amends article 3 of the Closure Order, so that the remainder of the Closure Order does not apply to large solar pv stations.

An explanatory memorandum is available alongside this Order on www.legislation.gov.uk. An impact assessment of the effect that this Order will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available alongside the Order on that website.