United Kingdom
Solar Century Holdings Ltd v. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (High Court of Justice Queen's Bench Division, 2014)
Jurisdiction: United Kingdom
Side A: Solar Century Holdings Ltd (Corporation)
Side B: Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Government)
Core objectives: Challenge discontinuance of a renewable energy support scheme based on financial considerations
Summary
Four solar energy companies challenged a decision of the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (the "Secretary") to discontinue a renewable energy support scheme. The support scheme provided financial incentives for the creation of generation capacity from renewable sources, in line with the United Kingdom's goal to combat climate change by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy consumption from renewable sources. Although the government had represented that the scheme would run until 2017, the Secretary announced that it would end two years early due to unexpectedly high costs. The solar energy companies argued, inter alia, that the Secretary's decision was beyond his statutory authority and that government statements indicating the program would run until 2017 were binding. The court found that the Secretary acted within his authority, citing both the need to balance public policy objectives in the field of energy and climate change and law requiring the Secretary to exercise budgetary discipline.Case documents
from the Grantham Research Institute
from the Grantham Research Institute
