Overview Financial assistance for energy purposes
18.The Act amends the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/419 (N.I. 6)) by extending the legislative powers covering the provision of financial assistance to energy projects. Existing Article 61 of that Order, which is focused on the provision of grants to the electricity and gas industries, is being replaced to enable assistance to be given to a wider range of energy-related projects and, in particular, renewable energy. The extended provision will allow use of the new £59 million Environment and Renewable Energy Fund which has been established to support renewable energy projects over the next two years. It will also address proposals published on 30th June 2004 as Energy: A Strategic Framework for Northern Ireland, and specifically the objective of enhancing sustainable energy supply and consumption.