Renewable energy developers will get an indication from mid-2011 of the support they will receive for large-scale renewable energy projects staring electricity generation from April 2013.

Hendry says: “We are determined to increase significantly the amount of renewables in our energy mix and we want to remove barriers to this goal. The previous timetable for reviewing support for large-scale renewable electricity developments created some uncertainty for investors, so we’ve decided to bring it forward.

“Taking this action will help us realise our full potential for growth in renewable electricity. We think we’ve found the right balance between speeding up the process and making sure our decisions are based on solid analysis.”

The new bands will be confirmed by autumn 2011, and will take effect on 1 April 2013, subject to State Aids and Parliamentary approval.