Big Energy hates the Renewable Energy Target because it is seeing renewables take a growing slice of their shrinking pie. Yes2Renewables activist Ben Courtice explains.
We keep hearing news of ongoing negotiations (or almost negotiations) between the Federal Coalition and Labor over a compromise agreement on reducing the Renewable Energy Target. What’s at stake?
Currently, the latest offer from the Coalition is to reduce the target (from 41,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy by 2020), to 31,000 gigawatt-hours (they had previously said 26,000 would be their preferred figure).
Labor, who have said they will take direction from the renewable energy industry, are so far holding out for a figure in “the mid to high 30s”, supported by the Clean Energy Council until they caved and made a more desperate sounding offer of 33,500 (rejected by the Coalition, regardless).
Bill Shorten and Mark Butler (image: ABC)
The ongoing uncertainty over the future of the target means that there is pretty much zero investment happening, banks won’t loan money for renewable projects, because no-one knows what the future will bring.
Unfortunately, if Labor do negotiate a reduced target with the Coalition, we could be in the position where a significant reduction in the target will be painted as a victory by many in the industry — because it gets the finance and construction of projects happening in the short term.
Renewable energy is a mainstream election issue in the hotly-contested seat of Macedon. Anti-wind farm laws introduced by the Coaltion government in 2011 have hit the Macedon Ranges hard. A large-scale blanket ban on wind farms now cuts across the electorate. The anti-wind farm … Continue reading Voices of Macedon: Community consultation missing on key planning issues
The panel reviewing the Renewable Energy Target (headed by Dick Warburton who suspects the academies of science across the G20 nations may be telling fibs about human-induced global warming) has released a relatively brief discussion paper as part of a request for submissions.
As expected, it canvasses the complete abolition of the large-scale and small-scale sections of the RET. It asks the following three pivotal questions, likely to deeply unsettle the renewable energy sector: Continue reading “WA by-election leaves renewables vulnerable”
The Australian Solar Council’s Save Solar marketing campaign to influence the outcome of the WA Senate election is in full swing now.
Using lessons learnt from the mining industry’s campaign against the resource rent tax, but with a dose of bottom-up, crowdfunded people-power, the council is rolling out the advertisement below via television and social media channels.
The rapidly increasing cost of utilities in Australia—energy in particular—has had much media coverage lately. We found an interesting, industry-backed article on the AWEA blog by Michael Goggin about wind helping lower energy prices during peak usage periods. In addition to … Continue reading Wind energy lowers market price of energy during seasonal peaks
The Greens have continued their national leadership on energy policy by announcing a Clean Energy Roadmap to get Australia to 100 percent renewables. The intervention is an attempt to spark a debate about energy policy in the lead up to the looming federal election.
In an opinion article published by RenewEconomy, Greens leader Senator Christine Milne makes the case for a national roadmap. Milne cites studies by the Australian Energy Market Operator and University of New South Wales which find it economically and feasible for the national grid to be powered entirely by renewable energy. Senator Milne makes her case:
“The cheapest way to decarbonise the electricity sector is to plan the transition early and build the right energy infrastructure in the right place at the right time. To avoid wasting time and money on investments that don’t adequately address climate change, we need a roadmap.”
The community-owned Hepburn wind project, winner of the World Wind Energy Award 2012.
The Victorian Labor party has shed light on its position on wind energy as the full impact of the Baillieu government’s anti-windfarm laws become clear. While the Opposition didn’t go as far as pledging to repeal the VC82 planning amendments, the Labor party’s comments reflect a clear point of difference from the Baillieu government.
Among the many commentaries on the budget, here’s our two cents’ worth as the budget relates to renewable energy and climate action. First, the big item is that the diesel fuel tax rebate for off-road use has remained. Had this been scrapped or altered, it would have of course raised a lot of revenue from the main users of off-road diesel vehicles: miners and farmers. It would also have made solar panels and wind turbines much more competitive with diesel generators in remote locations. As Tristan Edis at Climate Spectator explained: Removal of this excise exemption… would tip the economics decisively … Continue reading You can’t eat your fossil fuel cake and be renewable too
yes2renewables.org 