Labor has announced the party is backing the Clean Energy Council’s compromise position on Australia’s Renewable Energy Target.
Late last month, The Clean Energy Council proposed a compromise target for large-scale renewable energy in Australia of 33,500 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2020. The proposal also contains a range of other conditions including the preservation of the SRES, the small scale renewable energy scheme that supports the purchase of residential and commercial solar power systems.
According to a statement on the ALP web site, the Opposition is now demanding the Abbott government accepts the compromise – immediately.
“Every day this matter drags on, more jobs are lost and every day the uncertainty continues, projects are shelved and future jobs are lost. Labor is working with the renewable energy sector to stop any more damage. Tony Abbott must end the uncertainly and accept the renewable energy industry’s compromise position today.”
Labor says the compromise target will be a floor and if it gains power at the next election, it will increase the RET out to 2020 to boost investment, specifically in large scale solar.
Investment in Australian large scale projects was down 88 per cent last year as a result of uncertainty over the Target and jobs have already evaporated. In the latest vote of no-confidence in Australia; Spain’s Banco Santander, the biggest bank in Europe, reportedly recently decided to take its bat and ball and go home.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton has welcomed Labor’s backing of the CEC’s proposal.
“With today’s announcement, Labor joins a growing and diverse collective of prominent peak business groups that have backed the proposal as the basis for resolving this crisis. These organisations include the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, the Australian Aluminium Council, Manufacturing Australia and the Energy Users Association of Australia,” Mr Thornton said.
“We are now calling on the government to also support the industry’s proposal, which will help save Australian jobs and create massive economic benefits, predominantly for rural areas of the country, between now and 2020. It will also generate significant business for hundreds of contractors and small enterprises across Australia.”
