NEWSFLASH - Australia's Solar Credits Legislation Stalled

 

According to the Clean Energy Council, Australia's Renewable Energy Target bill has been deferred until at least August 2009.
  
The situation is the result of a motion to refer the bill to committee by Family First Senator Stephen Fielding and supported by the coalition and Senator Nick Xenephon. Labor and the Greens opposed the motion. Senator Xenophon had indicated earlier this week that he didn't envision the legislation passing in its current form by the winter break.
  
This means there is continuing uncertainty regarding the passage of the RET bill and its component measures, in particular the solar credits scheme which has replaced the previous $8,000 solar energy rebate.
 
While it's still fully expected that the solar credits aspect will be passed, the question now is when. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warren said a short time ago that hundreds of employees in the Australian solar PV industry face immediate layoffs as a direct result of today’s decision by the Senate to defer the government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) bill.
  
With many home solar power companies offering the solar credits rebate as a point of sale discount, after this news providers may balk at continuing to do so; preferring to wait until the legislation has passed. 
 
However,  national solar power company Energy Matters have said at this point they will continue to offer solar credits inclusive prices on systems based on the assumption the legislation will pass after further debate shortly after parliament reconvenes.
  
Last week, the Federal Government  faced harsh criticism from the Opposition and the Greens for attempting to link the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme with the new Solar Credits program; which is part of the new Renewable Energy Target legislation. 
 

USA Solar Energy Consumer Survey Results

 

US solar company Applied Materials recently released the findings of a survey relating to the general public's understanding and opinions about solar energy. The telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults comprised of 200 adults in each of the following five states: New York, California, Colorado, Texas and Florida. 
  
According to the survey, Americans want to see more solar energy and more rapid integration of renewable power into U.S. energy supplies. 
  
Some of the key findings:
  
- 50% believe the U.S. Government’s goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025 is too slow.
  
- 81% agree that solar energy should play a bigger role in meeting U.S. energy needs in the next five years.
  
- 68% say that energy utilities should include solar electricity as a part of their power generation.
  
- 52%  would be willing to pay more for electricity if their power company increased its use of renewable energy. 
  
- 41%  would not be willing to pay more.
  
While the survey shows a great deal of enthusiasm for solar power, it also revealed that Americans grossly overestimate how much solar energy is currently implemented in the nation. 20% of those surveyed believe that 20% or more of the USA's electricity comes from solar power; but it actually only accounts for less than 0.01% - even though, according to the survey report, solar energy is already cost-competitive with fossil fuels for peak demand in such places as Hawaii, California and New York.
 
While Germany and Spain lead the world in solar power implementation due to government incentives such as feed in tariffs, one in four people surveyed believe that the U.S. is the world leader - a position it lost many years ago.
  
View the full findings of Applied Materials' Summer Solstice Survey Results (PDF)
 

NSW Continues Coal Love Affair

 

Coal fired power generation in New South Wales has done well in the recent state budget and as a result, the state's greenhouse gas emissions will continue to climb. 
   
According to a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, Eraring power station on the Central Coast will be expanded with an investment of $205 million. 
Greens MP John Kaye believes the Eraring expansion is the equivalent of constructing a new coal-fired power station and will add about 2 per cent to NSW emissions from electricity.
   
More than $16 million has also been set aside to help accelerate the development of controversial clean coal technology in NSW. Sue-Ern Tan of the NSW Minerals Council believes that clean coal technology will help cut the state's carbon footprint and points out "95 per cent of this state's electricity is powered by coal-fired generation". 
   
However, some would argue that clean coal technologies such as carbon sequestration are a long way off from being commercially viable. The U.S. Energy Department believes a commercial scale carbon sequestration project is a decade or more away - and that's under the best of circumstances. 
  
Given the uncertainty and confusion surrounding clean coal technology,  many environmental groups believe coal fired power generation should be phased out in favour of renewable energy solutions such as solar power and wind energy. 
   
In an ironic, related story; it appears a new port that will see the New South Wales city of Newcastle become the largest coal exporter in the world is being raised by several metres, supposedly in anticipation for rising sea levels brought about by climate change - driven by increased greenhouse gas emissions of which the burning of coal is a driving force.
   
While it's been a big week for coal in New South Wales, there's been very little further support for renewable energy and the state still remains one of the remaining holdouts for a solar feed in tariff program. Feed in tariff programs, when implemented correctly, have been demonstrated to provide a major boost to home solar power uptake and are considered a significant economic stimulus strategy - but without the public debt.

News for Wednesday 17 June, 2009

 

• A Brighter Future For Australian Solar Power From June 22
  


• Renewable Energy Jobs Boom In Europe
  

View all news for Wednesday 17 June, 2009 on one page

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