The future of Victorian renewable energy policy will be known by the end of the year with the Andrews government preparing to release its Renewable Energy Action Plan.

In a draft of the plan released last month, the Andrews government committed to a baseline Victorian Renewable Energy Target of at least 20 per cent by 2020. It is now seeking public comment on what the final targets should be.

Setting ambitious state renewables targets would see Victoria join the ranks of South Australia, Queensland, and the ACT, who have set targets for growing the sector.

In a letter published by The Age, prolific Tweeter Andrew Laird argues the commitment of state and territory governments to grow renewables is welcome leadership as the Federal government remain a laggard:

Welcome green shoots

The federal government’s ongoing war against renewable energy has disappointed many Australians and disgraced us in front of the world community.

Thankfully, however, both the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (both of which the Prime Minister wants to abolish) are still doing their jobs (“Large-scale solar plants get $350m push to catch up with wind”, 9/9).

Encouragingly, state and territory governments of all political persuasions are repudiating the Abbott government’s anti-renewable energy agenda. The ACT is targeting 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, Queensland 50per cent by 2030, South Australia 50 per cent by 2025 and Victoria has just reinstated a state target of at least 20 per cent by 2020.

Even Western Australia’s conservative Treasurer and Energy Minister Mike Nahan recently said that rooftop solar will be meeting the bulk of WA day-time electricity demand within 10 years, displacing a lot of existing coal-fired power.

For the sake of investment, jobs and a livable environment, it is to be hoped Australia is finally seeing the green shoots of a clean energy renaissance.