Major breakthrough puts renewable energy deal within reach

The Renewable Energy Target (RET)

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Confirmation today that the Federal Government will remove the legislated reviews of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) should clear the way for a deal to be done and return much-needed investment confidence to the Australian renewable energy sector, the Clean Energy Council said.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said that the agreement to remove the review provision was the final major stumbling block for the renewable energy industry.

“I’m confident that a final agreement can now be negotiated which will deliver the necessary bipartisan support for the RET, restoring stability to the policy and allowing the industry to meet the revised target,” Mr Thornton said.

“It has been a tough 15 months, but this development will be a huge weight off the shoulders of the 20,000 people working in the industry. It will also help to unlock Australia’s massive renewable energy potential.

“I would like to thank the major parties for their flexibility and their willingness to work together in search of an outcome that will allow the renewable energy industry to deliver significant job and investment benefits to the Australian economy.

“This has been a challenging process for all concerned, and we are obviously disappointed with a reduction of the target. We remain concerned about the impact of this lower target on the opportunity for emerging technologies like large-scale solar, and will continue to work with both major parties on appropriate policy measures to address this.

“However, bipartisanship is essential to the success of renewable energy and it is only through the commitment of both major parties that we can now move to restore confidence and investment in the renewable energy sector,” he said.

Mr Thornton said the Clean Energy Council did not support the proposal to include native forest wood waste unless there was an agreed process to verify it as coming from sustainably managed forests.  

“We remain hopeful that the major parties will continue to work through this issue for the good of the tens of thousands of people employed by the renewable energy industry,” he said.

“It is important that this in-principle agreement between the two major parties is effectively translated into legislation and that this is passed as quickly as possible, to secure a future for the renewable energy industry. After 15 long months, this is now within reach and we look forward to working with both major parties in the coming days to close out this deal.”

Please contact Clean Energy Council Media Manager Mark Bretherton on 0413 556 981 for more information or to arrange an interview.

- See more at: https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/media-centre/media-releases/may-2015/ret-deal.html#sthash.NS58MGhB.dpuf

Wind power inquiry continues

The Australian Senate has established a Select Committee to review wind farms, with terms of reference that include the effect of wind farms on household power prices, health, fauna, fire-fighting, crop management, emissions reduction, as well as planning processes and compliance. They are due to report on 24 June. More details are available on the Select Committee website: http://www.aph.gov.au/select_windturbines

You can read the Clean Energy Council’s submission under the ‘wind’ tab here: http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/policy-advocacy/submissions.html

Australian Clean Energy Summit

The Australian Clean Energy Summit is the peak gathering of leaders driving Australia’s energy transformation. Join us for a two-day conference where heads of industry, government and finance will share the models, trends and technology innovations that they’re leveraging to drive renewable energy adoption, and overcome barriers in its deployment.

Registrations for the Australian Clean Energy Summit are now open, and in even better news you can save $200 on the ticket price if you register before 31 May.

The summit will be held at the Hilton Sydney from 15 - 16 July. Visit cleanenergysummit.com.au for more information and to register today.

For more information visit the Australian Clean Energy Summit website.

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