英语论文网

ble Obligation and the Climate Change Levy will be discussed more in detail in following sections as those two incentives promote the most support for the renewable electricity generation and put a number of obligations on the electricity suppliers to generate a set amount of electricity from renewable energy sources.

4.2.3 Renewable obligation

The Renewable Obligation sets a target of 10 percent electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by the year 2010. It also extends the obligation to the year 2027, providing long term security for the renewable energy market. The Renewable Obligation (RO) was originally implemented to encourage the support for electricity generation from the renewable sources. It was introduced as a replacement of the Non-Fossil Fuels Obligation (NFFO), with the main aim to increase the proportion of electricity sourced from renewable sources by placing the obligation on the electricity suppliers in the UK. According to the UK Energy Statistics, in 2007, it reached 6.7 percent in the United Kingdom, and 2.6 percent in Northern Ireland. The figure was origginally set at 3 percent for the years 2002/03, however under current political obligation the figure is set to rise to 10.2 percent by the year 2012, and by 1 percent anually for the following five years. (Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), 2007).

Licenced electricity suppliers in the UK achieve their obligations by showing the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROCs), in case where the suppliers have insuficient ROCs to meet their obligation, the payment into the buy-out fund is required in order to cover the shortfall. The ROC is the green certificate issued by Ofgem to licenced renewable suppliers, the ROCs are granted for eligable renewable electricity generated and supplied to the consumers in the UK. Eligible renewable sources of energy include biomass, tidal, wave, hydro and wind power, ladfill and sewage gas. However, not all eligable renewable technologies will be supported due to the economic capability. The duration of the obligation is one year, which starts on 1stof April and ends on 31st of March, the deadline for electricity suppliers to hand in appropriate ROCs or provide evidence of the payment to the buy-put fund to satisfy their obligation is on the 31st of the following September.

In fact, electricity consumers bear the cost of the ROCs as the licensed electricity suppliers include this cost by making an increase in the price of their services. The Government is currently reviewing the shape of the obligation in the future. The consultation period presented an amended form of the Renewable Obligation, which will award different renewable technologies a different number of ROCs; however this has not yet been formally implemented as policy.

In early 2007, calls for the Renewable Obligation to be substituted were raised by Ofgem. According to Ofgem the obligation was not a cost effective way to promote renewable electricity generation. The main concerns are that the electricity consumers will bear the costs for the renewables projects even where they can not be completed due to the failure to obtain the necessary building permissions or where the electricity price or th本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。