Now that coal seam gas has been included in Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET), it seems that other fossil fuel sectors want a piece of the action too.
Recently made RET amendments allow for coal seam methane to also be counted in the target, a move criticised by the Australian Greens who said it was purely to allow the coal sector to profit.
However, Minister Climate Change and Water Senator Penny Wong says the use of the waste gas as an energy source would be included on top of the 20% target and won’t take away from real renewable energy. Senator Wong says the logic behind including coal seam methane was to consolidate and simplify legislation.
Hard on the heels of the coal industry getting their claws into the RET, Australia’s natural gas industry yesterday called on the Federal Government and the Opposition to increase their focus on natural gas in deliberations on the Renewable Energy Target legislation. The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) and the Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA) want the nation’s leaders to recognise natural gas as a low emissions fuel source and a complement to renewable energy sources.
With two fossil fuel sectors having already made a mad dash for a slice of RET green labeling goodness and associated financial incentives, some have questioned what will be next – perhaps brown coal itself – the filthiest of the filthy fossil fuels?
Greenpeace said of the inclusion of coal seam gas, “…even the Mad Hatter could never have imagined a world in which fossil fuels are actually renewable energy sources.”
In other RET news, a national, uniform gross feed in tariff for Australia still looks unlikely. A related bill championed by Greens Deputy Leader Senator Christine Milne has been given a lukewarm response by Senator Wong who said, “We are not convinced that adding another layer of regulation and another layer of subsidy is sensible in the context of such a significant investment into renewable energy”. Senator Milne’s support of feed in tariffs is also heavily backed by a national petition co-ordinated by solar power company Energy Matters, attracting the signatures of over 18,000 Australians.
While Senator Wong’s view will be disappointing to many solar power supporters; the industry is still in the process of breathing a sigh of relief that funding for the Solar Credits program looks like it will finally be made available after a positive Senate vote this week – and the feed in tariff issue will be another battle for another time.. soon.
