Antinuclear

Extensive ‘advice’ from AGL, Energy Australia and Origin on the Renewable Energy Target has been a disaster – except for the companies’ profits “……Let’s hope Bill Shorten and the opposition have the courage to stand firm. The Greens and most of the Senate crossbenchers would back them to block the government’s attempts to make the necessary legislative amendments to the RET.

The real villains here, however, are Australia’s three biggest energy companies: AGL, Energy Australia and Origin.

Abbott has been extensively “advised” by these companies. Surely it is in no small part their influence that led to the coalition setting up an inquiry into the RET, headed by climate change sceptic Dick Warburton.

Interestingly, the inquiry found that the RET will drive down the price of power for consumers. Not a particularly helpful finding for a government that had been pushing the same tired line it did on the carbon price, that the policy is bad for consumers and would lead to higher power prices.

The Coalition persisted, following more lobbying from the big three who control over 70% of the retail energy market in Australia. These companies made their positions absolutely clear: some wanted the RET scrapped altogether and others would be happy with a significant cut.

They knew weakening the RET would drive up the value of their fossil fuel assets, such as their investments in polluting coal fired power plants and coal seam gas mining. And, of course, it would limit new competition in the energy market, which lowers power prices for consumers, too.

And, unlike the renewable energy-backed companies they want to undermine by attacking the RET, they’ve been getting away with screwing households on their electricity bills by hitting customers with almost obscene profit margins as energy retailers.

But here’s the good news. The Australian public, the vast majority of us who support cleaner and cheaper power from renewable energy and are opposed to dirty coal and damaging coal seam gas, have the ability to reclaim control over our public policy.

In order to stop vested interests like Origin, AGL and Energy Australia who have much to gain by halting the growth of renewable energy, all we need to do is switch our energy provider to a company backed by 100% renewable energy.

Credit Suisse has found that, “a coordinated campaign targeting AGL’s electricity and gas customers and prospective customers could result in customer loss and costs to AGL.” And Citi Research recently said:

We think there are early warning signs of negative connotations around Gloucester (CSG) impacting AGL in some retail customer segments. If these negative associations become more mainstream, walking away from/disposing of Gloucester may become the right option to protect the larger retail brand and earnings.

So despite the CEC’s position strengthening Macfarlane’s arm, the battle is now well and truly on. Australian consumers can change the balance of power. We can stop the rollout of CSG, we can say no to dirty and polluting coal and we can save the key policies that we need to build the infrastructure for cleaner and cheaper power.

The more of us that switch to companies that genuinely support the RET and oppose CSG, the better we will make things for all Australian consumers, our communities and our environment http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/26/the-real-villains-in-australias-renewables-debacle-three-big-energy-companies