Antinuclear

AUDIO: Australian government’s energy policy driven not by reality, but by ideology

AUDIO Australian Solar Council says ideology is driving energy policy http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/ideology-driving-energy-policy-australian-solar-council/5437898 8 May 14 The Australian solar industry has delivered a broadside to the Coalition government, saying ideology is now driving energy policy in Australia. John Grimes, the CEO of the Australian Solar Council, says the government is on the brink of breaking key promises on renewable energy, writes Alexia Attwood. The Australian Solar Council has warned the government is about to dump its one million solar roofs program, cut the Renewable Energy Target in half, scrap the last remaining federal subsidies for domestic solar panels and axe more than one billion dollars of funding for research into renewable power.

‘Because they have made an ideological choice it is then skewing all of the other decisions they’re making,’ John Grimes, CEO of the Australian Solar Council, told RN Breakfast.‘This is poor public policy and not in accordance with what the people of Australia want.’

The concerns for the future of both large- and small-scale solar power will dominate the 52nd annual Australian Solar Industry Conference and Exhibition, which opens today in Melbourne.

‘It is being supported at the highest levels of the government and this is a campaign to wind back support for renewable energy,’ said Mr Grimes. ‘We’ve engaged in good faith, we have provided good policy advice to governments over the years. We are completely non-partisan. We will support any party that has good solar policy.’…….

Mr Grimes said the government is set to cut $1.5 billion from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and phase out the small scale renewable energy scheme, ending the last remaining federal subsidy for domestic solar installation.

‘We think support for the small scale scheme is finished and to soften the blow we expect they will make a concession towards small businesses, that they will phase this out for small businesses over time but close it completely for the general community,’ said Mr Grimes. ‘For a lot of people it will put going solar out of their reach.’

‘Scaling back, reducing, cutting subsidies for household solar is only the first step … You ain’t seen nothing yet.’

May 9, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News