A new campaign launched by the Clean Energy Council puts faces to some of the 13,000 names working in Australia’s solar industry.
More than just an impressive statistic, these 13,000 people are like any other – many with families and all have expenses to meet. The important work these people do has helped many Australians reduce their power bills; but a warm and fuzzy feeling alone won’t pay solar workers’ own bills.
Clean Energy Council Acting Chief Executive Kane Thornton says the solar industry supports 13,000 direct jobs; with most of those in small and medium-sized businesses in locations throughout Australia, including rural and regional areas.
“The jobs range from solar installers, to office administration, to managers, to marketing and sales and more,” states Mr. Thornton.
“But all these jobs are under threat if the Federal Government accepts the recommendations of the recent Warburton Review of the Renewable Energy Target to severely reduce or completely drop the small-scale scheme along with the RET.”
The CEC is encouraging members of the public to print the Save Jobs in Solar poster and display it ‘wherever they can’.
The ad, featuring ‘selfies’ by hundreds of Australians employed in the solar industry, is also being run in newspapers.
More than two million Australian homes and businesses generate at least some of their own power using solar panels, with the purchase of systems being supported by the Renewable Energy Target. If financial incentives under the Target are reduced, it would result in an increase in the price of solar power systems; subsequently creating a barrier for those yet to go solar and in turn impacting heavily on jobs in the sector.
It seems the only parties to benefit from a reduction in Australia’s RET would be coal and gas-fired generators, which would generate $10 billion in extra profit over the next 15 years; while households and businesses will pay more for their power.
The Federal Government is expected to announce its intentions regarding the Target this week.
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