Renewables Obligation (United Kingdom)

The Renewables Obligation (RO)[1] was designed to encourage generation of electricity from eligible renewable sources in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in April 2002, both in England and Wales and in Scotland albeit in a slightly different form: the Renewables Obligation (Scotland). The RO was later introduced in Northern Ireland in April 2005. In all cases, replacing the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation which operated from 1990.[2]

The RO placed an obligation on licensed electricity suppliers in the United Kingdom to source an increasing proportion of electricity from renewable sources, similar to a renewable portfolio standard. In 2010/11 it was 11.1% (4.0% in Northern Ireland). This figure was initially set at 3% for the period 2002/03 and under current political commitments will rise to 15.4% (6.3% in Northern Ireland) by the period 2015/16 and then it runs until 2037 (2033 in Northern Ireland). An extension of the scheme from 2027 to 2037 was declared on 1 April 2010 and is detailed in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan.[3]

The RO closed to new generation in March 2017, and was replaced by the Contracts for Difference scheme.[4]

  1. ^ Ofgem and ROC Ofgem: What is the Renewables Obligation
  2. ^ "Renewable Energy" (PDF). Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. October 2001. postnote 164. Retrieved 13 June 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/what%20we%20do/uk%20energy%20supply/energy%20mix/renewable%20energy/ored/25-nat-ren-energy-action-plan.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ Watson, Nicole; Bolton, Paul (17 October 2023). Contracts for Difference Scheme (Report). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 5 May 2024.