Two new renewable energy grant programs for businesses and organisations in Canberra were announced by Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury yesterday.
The Direct Grants scheme will support new and emerging technologies and ventures with the potential to deliver on a clean energy future, and that support the development of the ACT as an export oriented hub for renewable energy innovation and investment.
Offering grants over $30,000, the closing date to lodge an expression of interest is Friday 24 February 2016.
The second scheme, the Innovation Connect “Renewables Stream”, provides competitive grants of between $5,000 to $30,000 of matching funding for proving an innovative product or service related to renewables.
As well as the funding, it will also provide a place in the Renewables Innovation Hub co-working space; which brings together start-ups and organisations from across Australia and around the world with the goal of further developing the ACT’s renewable energy and clean technology sectors.
Minister Rattenbury states this scheme will commit up to $120,000 over the course of the year
Funding from both programs will be sourced from the $12 million industry-funded Renewable Energy Innovation Fund (REIF).
Canberra has become a hotbed of renewable energy activity, both in R&D and uptake.
According to a recent report, Canberra’s renewable energy generation increased from an 18.8% share in 2014-15 to 20.2% in 2015-16 and the Territory is on track to meeting its 100% renewable by 2020 goals.
The ACT has also been a leader in the home energy storage sector, with its Next Gen Battery Storage Grants program – one of the largest government-supported rollouts of residential battery systems in the world.
In May last year, the Territory’s Government also brought forward the Territory’s target for net zero carbon emissions (carbon neutrality) to 2050.
“We have done some tremendous work already, particularly with renewable energy, in the ACT – but if we’re going to continue to be a global climate leader, then there is much more to do,” said Minister Rattenbury in a recent Facebook post.
