Clean energy policy in Australia

Australia and the world face a considerable challenge in decarbonising energy supply to avoid the risk of dangerous climate change. Two key mechanisms to deliver this urgent reform are the accelerated development of affordable, reliable and safe clean energy technologies at scale, and measures to drive more efficient use of energy in households, business and factories.

Policy measures to drive these reforms should precede a carbon price, as the availability of effective clean energy and energy efficiency solutions will make the transition to a decarbonised economy faster and more affordable. An expanded renewable energy target is only the first step in that policy framework. Governments need to find an array of policy measures to develop all of Australia’s proven and emerging clean energy resources. The abundance of our clean energy potential is both a blessing and a challenge: we have the potential to source much of our energy from clean energy sources, but will need to explore the potential of all the technologies at our disposal to achieve this.

The primary objective of the Clean Energy Council (CEC) is to support this policy challenge by co-ordinating, refining and articulating the views of the clean energy industry. Our focus is on solutions, not problems.

For the first half of  2009 the CEC’s primary focus was to ensure the passage of an effective expanded renewable energy target. Since the passage of the expanded RET the CEC has been focussed on understanding how the RET is operating and ensuring it meets its core renewable electricity objective: delivering 45,000 gigawatt hours by 2020.

The CEC also proposed measures to  accelerate investment in  emerging clean energy technologies that represent the future of this industry. The federal government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships program was launched in 2009 and provides great potential for large scale solar energy in Australia. The CEC is working with the government to ensure it delivers on that promise.

The CEC strongly supports the immediate implementation of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, ensuring the full recognition of voluntary contributions to reduce emissions such as GreenPower.

The CEC also supports the development of the National Energy Efficiency Mechanism which has been recognised by the creation of a Prime Minister’s task group to report in mid 2010.

Over the next 12 months the CEC will focus on:

• Working with the government and industry to propose effective reforms to the expanded RET that will drive the deployment of all clean energy technologies
• Development of a comprehensive clean energy strategy for Australia to guide and
  co-ordinate the efforts of state and federal governments
• Continued  advocacy  to drive the development and deployment of emerging clean
  energy technologies
• Helping to give form to the challenge of achieving systemic energy efficiency
  improvements in all parts of the Australian economy