Australian
Friday 21/8/2009 Page: 5
THE renewable energy industry says projects worth up to $20 billion could be built over the next 10 years after the parliament finally passed laws yesterday requiring 20% of electricity to be sourced from renewables by 2020. The 20% renewable energy target was a key election commitment from the Rudd government which will now be delivered", said Pacific Hydro chief executive Rob Grant. "It will result in the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs, mostly in regional Australia, and significant greenhouse gas abatement, beginning the enormous task of stabilising emissions from the electricity sector by creating new zero emission energy supplies."
The legislation was passed on voices, without a formal vote, after Climate Change Minister Penny Wong agreed on key Coalition amendments, including more generous thresholds for industry to qualify for shielding from higher power prices and the inclusion in the scheme of power generated from coal waste gases. She did not agree to Nationals demands for extra compensation for food processors, but did concede industries that felt unduly disadvantaged could seek a review from the Productivity Commission.
Senator Wong said the new laws meant that in 10 years' time the amount of electricity coming from sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, would be about the same as all of Australia's current household electricity use. And opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt said the deal proved that the parliament can work at its best when the government agrees to negotiate and compromise". But Nationals senators were less effusive.
"The overwhelming acceptance by the Labor Party of the amendments proposed by the Coalition to the RET would lead to the Australian people's expectation that a negotiated settlement should in general be supported," said Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce. "Although we do not believe this is a perfect outcome, we did go into these negotiations in the spirit of being conciliatory." Conservation and climate change lobby groups were muted in their praise. The Climate Institute Australia think tank welcomed the deal, but said "the exemptions for big polluters are regrettable and irresponsible".
And Greenpeace attacked the inclusion of coalmine gas, saying it was not a renewable energy and had no place in the scheme. Mr Hunt said generating electricity from waste coalmine gas reduced its greenhouse impact twentyfold and created electricity. Coalmine gas was included on top of the existing scheme, meaning it will not displace renewable energy that would otherwise have been produced.
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