As a study commissioned by industry body Renewable UK showed the number of jobs in offshore wind had doubled in the last three years, a significant investor said government was not doing enough to boost the sector.
Alexander Temerko, director of Offshore Group Newcastle, which builds offshore platforms for oil and gas exploration as well as wind turbines, criticised the coalition’s “hypocritical” approach to energy policy. His company reported a turnover of £150 million last year.
The Russian businessman, who donated £208,500 to the Conservative Party in the past two years and attended a private dinner with senior party figures this spring, told the Independent prime minister David Cameron had broken his pledge to lead the “greenest government ever”.
“He must be responsible for his words, his promises. We voted for him and part of his Conservative manifesto was to support green energy and renewables. But he has not done that,” said Temerko.
The government has failed to back up rhetoric with the targets – notably a 2030 decarbonisation target – and clarity on subsidies for renewable power that investors need, he claimed. Cameron and energy secretary Ed Davey were culpable for confusing investors as well as chancellor George Osborne, he said.
He told the Independent: “The government has been seriously, seriously, seriously misleading. It has given a declaration on renewable energy without crystallising what it’s going to do to support investment. Government policy is not fair at the moment. If it told us ‘look, we don’t want to develop a low-carbon economy anymore’, we would say ‘thank you, now we know what to do’.
“Instead, the government has created big enthusiasm – but we are still waiting for a clear policy and definitive support. Green energy is very hypocritical from the government side.”
He welcomed the Offshore Wind Strategy announced by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg last month to create 26,000 new jobs by 2020, but said “we need more action taken”.
A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said: “The UK is already recognised as one of the most attractive locations in the world for offshore wind investment, with more installed here than the rest of the world put together. The reforms we’re making to the electricity market are designed to increase investor certainty further and bring forward investment in wind and other renewables.”
A Treasury spokesman said it supported Decc’s stance.