Renewable power likely to cut bills

Adelaide Advertiser
Monday 23/4/2007 Page: 6

A NEW report has called for the introduction of a 25 per cent renewable energy target for Australia by the year 2020. It says that will create almost 17,000 jobs and keep energy bills lower. The report, to be released today by the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and the Climate Action Network, says the 2020 target will help Australia to fight climate change.

The report says more than 17,000 Australians already are employed in the renewable energy or energy efficiency sectors. "A 25 per cent target would increase the number of clean energy jobs to over 33,000," the report says. The 2020 target also will see Australia's energy prices remain among the cheapest in the world, the report says. "A 25 per cent target, coupled with medium energy efficiency measures, would add about $64 to the average household annual electricity bill," it says.

"In contrast, current projections for business-as-usual electricity use could see average household electricity bills increase by $234 per year." Foundation executive director Don Henry said it would "cost Australia dearly" to allow electricity use to continue to climb.

"If we don't take action, the average household electricity bill could increase by hundreds of dollars," he said. Labor frontbencher and leading Left figure Anthony Albanese has said he will be seeking an amendment to the party's no new mines policy at the ALP national conference this weekend in Sydney. The party will vote to decide if it will scrap the policy.

Mr Albanese told the Nine Network yesterday he would be calling for two conditions to be met before any changes were made. "Until such time as we do have a nuclear nonproliferation regime which is effective and a resolution to the issue of nuclear waste, I don't believe that we should be expanding new uranium mines," Mr Albanese said.