The United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has outlined new plans to support the development of small-scale renewable power generation activities via the implementation of a smart export guarantee (SEG). A consultation has been launched and is set to close on 5 March 2019.
The scheme is meant to compensate small-scale renewable power generators for the electricity they export to the grid. SEGs would be available for all power generation technologies currently eligible for the feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme up to 5 MW in capacity. Large electricity suppliers (i.e. the ones supplying power to more than 250,000 domestic customers) would offer small-scale generators a price per kWh for the electricity they export to the power network. Smaller suppliers can opt to voluntarily provide a SEG tariff but must adhere to the rules and guidance associated with the SEG.
If adopted, the measure would be supplier-led and mandatory, replacing effectively the current FiT power generation tariff and export tariff that close to new applications on 31 March 2019.