THE GOVERNMENT is to set aside £34 million in a subsidies over the next eight years, for anyone who invests in building plants producing energy from renewable sources, the House Environment Committee heard yesterday.
Trade, Industry and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis explained, however, that the cost of the money – around £4 million a year – would be covered by consumers through a 1.5 to two per cent increase in billing.
The committee heard that the Cabinet would in its next meeting discuss the findings of a study on the production of energy from alternative sources, in order to decide on how the programme would be promoted and subsidised. The study has been carried out by the ministry over the past three years.
Apart from the solar panel programme, the government plans to promote electricity production through the use of wind turbines, as well as exploiting garbage and biomass, which is made up of plant materials and animal waste.
The minister said those choosing to install solar energy production equipment in their homes would be subsidised by the state, and could then sell on their electricity to the electricity company at the same rate that it charged households.
Rolandis said the project would be a huge undertaking costing $100,000,000. Tenders would be announced soon, and businesses had already expressed interest, the minister said.
He added: “If the Cabinet approves this programme it would mean that we would encourage and subsidise forms of energy and electricity produced by the sun, wind, and biomass, as well as renew old solar panels currently installed in homes that are not efficient and are visual pollutants.”
Speaking about the use of rubbish for producing electricity, Rolandis said such a practice would put an end to landfills, since all the rubbish would be used in producing energy.
Rolandis said that his ministry was preparing to start implementation of its plans this coming summer.
Included in the plans is a programme of replacing old solar panels, which are currently found on 74 per cent of houses and over half of the island’s hotels.
The minister said that a private company had already set up a factory that would manufacture the equipment needed for the production of solar energy.
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