❓ A parliamentary question regarding Western Australia's renewable energy targets, specifically addressing the 2020 obligation and Labor's 2030 policy. The response outlines the existing federal scheme and criticizes Labor's target.
AnsweredQoN 505Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET
505. Hon MARTIN PRITCHARD to the Leader of
the House representing the Minister for Energy:
Given that the Minister for Energy
now rejects the views of the Institute of Public Affairs and accepts the
science of human-induced climate change, I ask —
(1) Will Western Australia
meet our obligation to produce 20 per cent of electricity from renewable
resources by 2020 without resorting to buying renewable energy certificates
from interstate renewable energy projects?
(2) Does the
minister support Labor's policy of 50 per cent of electricity being
produced from renewable energy by 2030; if not, why not; and what is the
minister's post-2020 renewable energy target?
505. Hon MARTIN PRITCHARD to the Leader of
the House representing the Minister for Energy:
Given that the Minister for Energy
now rejects the views of the Institute of Public Affairs and accepts the
science of human-induced climate change, I ask —
(1) Will Western Australia
meet our obligation to produce 20 per cent of electricity from renewable
resources by 2020 without resorting to buying renewable energy certificates
from interstate renewable energy projects?
(2) Does the
minister support Labor's policy of 50 per cent of electricity being
produced from renewable energy by 2030; if not, why not; and what is the
minister's post-2020 renewable energy target?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The federal
government's Large-scale Renewable Energy Target imposes an obligation
on large users of electricity and electricity retailers to secure renewable
energy certificates in sufficient quantity to meet obligations under the
regulatory scheme or, alternatively, to pay a penalty. This obligation applies
to Synergy and Horizon Power, as well as to private sector electricity users
and retailers in Western Australia. Synergy and Horizon Power may meet their
obligations under the regulatory scheme by generating renewable energy itself
and thus producing renewable energy certificates internally within the
business, or procuring renewable energy certificates from other generators of
renewable energy within Western Australia or in other Australian jurisdictions.
The options used by each of these businesses to meet its obligations are, in
the first instance, commercial matters for each business to meet those
obligations at the lowest cost, and therefore with the least potential impact
on electricity prices.
(2) No. There is
no supporting information to indicate that the Labor target has been properly
informed by consideration of technical feasibility, consequences on electricity
prices, impact on systems security and reliability, economic and social
impacts, and environmental benefits. The Liberal–National government's
policy on renewable energy will be released in due course.
some notice of the question.
(1) The federal
government's Large-scale Renewable Energy Target imposes an obligation
on large users of electricity and electricity retailers to secure renewable
energy certificates in sufficient quantity to meet obligations under the
regulatory scheme or, alternatively, to pay a penalty. This obligation applies
to Synergy and Horizon Power, as well as to private sector electricity users
and retailers in Western Australia. Synergy and Horizon Power may meet their
obligations under the regulatory scheme by generating renewable energy itself
and thus producing renewable energy certificates internally within the
business, or procuring renewable energy certificates from other generators of
renewable energy within Western Australia or in other Australian jurisdictions.
The options used by each of these businesses to meet its obligations are, in
the first instance, commercial matters for each business to meet those
obligations at the lowest cost, and therefore with the least potential impact
on electricity prices.
(2) No. There is
no supporting information to indicate that the Labor target has been properly
informed by consideration of technical feasibility, consequences on electricity
prices, impact on systems security and reliability, economic and social
impacts, and environmental benefits. The Liberal–National government's
policy on renewable energy will be released in due course.
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