Antinuclear

Australia’s fossil fuel plants mostly built by governments: wind energy deserves a helpful start, too

Wind energy tax credit
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/letters/wind-energy-tax-credit/story-fn558imw-1226549122040
Russell Marsh, Clean Energy Council, The Australian January 08, 2013
CONTRARY to Graham Lloyd’s article, the US production tax credit for
wind energy was extended as part of the fiscal cliff deal passed on
January 1 (“Blow to big wind in the power-market stakes”, 5-6/1).

Given that most major fossil fuel power plants in Australia were built
and funded by governments – and many are still owned by governments –
it is not unreasonable that renewable energy is provided with a modest
level of support until it becomes more established. The cost of wind
energy, for example, makes up less than 2 per cent of power bills.

While world markets have proven volatile over the last 12 months due
to the stop-start nature of government support in some countries,
Australia’s 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target has been a consistent
and relatively low-cost policy that has provided enough stability to
attract financiers and investors.

Australia is well-positioned to substantially increase the share of
renewable energy in our generation mix between here and the end of the
decade, creating tens of thousands of jobs and unlocking billions of
dollars of investment in the process.

January 8, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News