End to Carbon Price Reinforces Need for Renewable Energy Target

The abolition of the carbon price underscores the importance of the Renewable Energy Target. It is now the only national initiative directed at reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. The last hope.

And it is a very effective one. The Climate Change Authority has forecast the target will cut emissions by 102 million tonnes between 2012 and 2020. That is a significant part of Australia's commitment to lower emissions from 2000 levels by 2020. The renewable energy industry now employs over 20,000 workers, many of them in regional Australia.

It is high time the Liberal Government stopped undermining and white-anting the Renewable Energy Target. It should wind up the Warburton Review - I thought they were against reviews – and let the RET get on with the task of moving Australia to the clean energy of the future.

The Renewable Energy Target is Direct Action – we need to promote it, not attack it.

The Government says that abolishing the carbon price will lead to electricity bills being cut by 9 per cent, and that the average power bill will be $200 a year lower. New South Wales power companies don't agree. The NSW power network companies Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy and Transgrid have submitted proposals to the Australian Energy Regulator to INCREASE their prices over the next four years.

 
The Australian Energy Regulator should not agree to this. Let's see whether electricity bills for industry and consumers now actually come down, and by how much.