Antinuclear

Despite having promised prior to the 2013 election not to touch the Renewable Energy Target scheme (RET), the Abbott government wasted little time in commissioning a review. The chief examiner is businessman and climate change denier Dick Warburton, who is joined by fossil fuel lobbyist Brian Fisher and the former head of Western Australian coal-powered generator Verve Energy.

Without a substantial fightback from the renewable energy industry and climate activists, it would seem the RET is doomed, either to be weakened to the point of futility or deleted entirely.

The attacks on the RET coming from Canberra are about ideology and business pressure, not some failure of the program. The RET, which sets a target of generating 20per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, has been the main driver of the growth in wind and other clean energy sources. The figures show it has cut emissions and generated jobs……..

There is an inherent irony in conservative MPs on one hand arguing  that clean energy is too expensive while at the same time systematically undermining even budget-neutral efforts to help the renewable energy sector emerge and compete on a level playing field with existing fossil fuel technologies.

With or without such programs as the RET, there is little doubt that eventually Australia will shrug off fossil fuels in favour of sustainable and renewable energy forms.

However, every week, every month, every year that state and federal governments refuse to foster a market environment conducive to investment in renewable energy is a lost opportunity to benefit from an industry that can provide jobs, reduce environmental strains and ease the health burden on communities. http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2335342/opinion-budget-cuts-closing-off-clean-energy/?cs=308