Coalition support for renewable energy welcome

Posted on: 03 - 11 - 2011

02 Nov 2011

The renewable energy industry has welcomed Coalition support for a key government renewable energy initiative this week.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warren said the decision to support the formation of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) showed the Coalition was committed to streamlining government programs and increasing efficiency.

“Bringing a diverse set of clean energy support programs worth more than $3 billion under the one umbrella makes a lot of sense,” Mr Warren said.

“It will reduce the amount of bureaucracy required to administer these initiatives and ultimately make them more cost effective for taxpayers.

“The industry sees ARENA as part of a gradual shift towards policy certainty, which will be crucial in unlocking billions of dollars in investment,” he said.

Mr Warren said the Coalition had repeatedly demonstrated its support for the renewable energy industry over many years and remained an important partner for renewable energy companies.

“The Howard Government introduced the first Mandatory Renewable Energy Target in 2001. The Coalition supported the Labor Government’s expansion of the target to 20 per cent by 2020 in 2007, as well as amendments to the legislation two years later.

“Opposition Leader Tony Abbott recently re-stated the Coalition’s strong support for the 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target and we obviously welcome that.

“Ours is a true industry of the future which already provides thousands of Australian jobs, many of which are in regional areas. These numbers are expected to swell to tens of thousands over the decades to come and we look forward to working with the major political parties to deliver these benefits for all Australians,” he said.