A WA parliamentary question seeks details on the review of the renewable energy buyback scheme, including its scope and potential alternative payment systems. The Minister confirms a review is underway but excludes larger systems until network impact trials are complete.

AnsweredQoN 205Legislative Council
Asked
24 March 2011
Portfolio
Energy

QuestionView source ↗

RENEWABLE ENERGY BUYBACK SCHEME — REVIEW
(1) What processes will be used to review the operation of the renewable energy buyback scheme? (2) Is a review currently underway; and, if not, when will one be conducted? (3) Will the scope of any such review include the operation of non-commercial alternative energy generating systems larger than five kilowatts? (4) Will the review examine the possibility of introducing alternative payment or accounting systems for owners of such systems, such as accounting for net usage or for payments for power generated of up to five kilowatts? Hon PETER COLLIER

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(2) Is a review currently underway; and, if not, when will one be conducted? (3) Will the scope of any such review include the operation of non-commercial alternative energy generating systems larger than five kilowatts? (4) Will the review examine the possibility of introducing alternative payment or accounting systems for owners of such systems, such as accounting for net usage or for payments for power generated of up to five kilowatts? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(3) Will the scope of any such review include the operation of non-commercial alternative energy generating systems larger than five kilowatts? (4) Will the review examine the possibility of introducing alternative payment or accounting systems for owners of such systems, such as accounting for net usage or for payments for power generated of up to five kilowatts? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(4) Will the review examine the possibility of introducing alternative payment or accounting systems for owners of such systems, such as accounting for net usage or for payments for power generated of up to five kilowatts? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(1) The requirements for reviewing the scheme’s operation are specified in the Electricity Industry (Licence Conditions) Regulations 2005. (2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(2) Aspects of the scheme’s operation are being reviewed, and I am currently considering a proposal from the Office of Energy to broaden coverage of the scheme. (3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(3) No. Before considering changes to systems size, the government is awaiting outcomes from trials by Western Power on the impact of small-scale renewable energy systems on its low-voltage network and customer power quality. (4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.
(4) The scheme already provides payments on a net basis for systems up to five kilowatts, although there may have been a bit of ambiguity in that question. I do not know whether that quite answers the question.

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