❓ The Minister for Energy outlines the Liberal-National government's efforts to reduce barriers and costs for rooftop solar installation for both residential and commercial users, highlighting reforms and growth in the sector. The answer also criticises the Labor party's energy policy.
AnsweredQoN 753Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROOFTOP
SOLAR SYSTEMS
753. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Energy:
Can the minister please update the
house on how the Liberal–National government is making it easier and
cheaper for consumers and industry to install rooftop solar systems?
SOLAR SYSTEMS
753. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Energy:
Can the minister please update the
house on how the Liberal–National government is making it easier and
cheaper for consumers and industry to install rooftop solar systems?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
As he well knows, the Liberal–National government is a strong supporter
of the expansion of solar energy. When we came to government in 2008, an
estimated 400 households used solar energy; 190 000 households in the south
west interconnected system now use solar energy. If we include households
outside SWIS, the number is over 200 000. Importantly, when we came to office,
no commercial outlets used solar energy. There are now 20 000 commercial
businesses using solar energy. The problem we have is that our system was based
not on distributed generation but on large-scale generating units. The
regulatory regime that applied to solar in the beginning was quite onerous. We
have asked the regulators—EnergySafety and the Economic Regulation
Authority—and of course Western Power, to look at this and try to
remove the barriers to the expansion of solar energy on rooftops, both
residential and commercial. Yesterday we announced a couple of major reforms
relating to the commercial sector that will reduce the owners'
connection standards and remove redundant protection requirements because
things have advanced, the installations are up to scratch and we do not need
those onerous standards. We have also reduced the licensing requirements. That
saves a commercial facility $60 000 in installation costs. We expect a substantial
response. Commercial solar energy is growing at over 25 per cent a year, which
is a major expansion. That is a good thing.
I was reading Labor's little
red book —
Mr
P.T. Miles : Big red book.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : Yes, it is a big red book. Labor has illustrated in one of its
commitments that it is either wilfully negligent on fiscal policy or does not
have a clue what Western Power does. It states —
WA Labor will legislate to ensure the
cost of electricity of small business end users is the same as the amount
charged by Western Power.
When a firm buys electricity, it
comes from two sources—Western Power, which has responsibility for the
poles and wires, is about 40 per cent of the cost, and retail generation and
the rest are 60 per cent. The Labor Party probably does not understand what
Western Power does, which brings into question, in the whole debate about
Western Power, its knowledge of it. It says that it will give a subsidised 60 per
cent reduction in the cost of electricity to small businesses. Who is going to
pay for this? With Synergy alone, the subsidy from taxpayers over five years
will be equivalent to $1.5 billion. The Leader of the Opposition is in charge
of this document. Either he stands by his commitment to his rank and file and
gives a 60 per cent subsidy to electricity users or he has to admit that he
does not have a clue what Western Power does. We know it is probably both. By
the way, if he did this, it would destroy not just Synergy, Alinta and Perth
Energy, but also the other competitors because everybody would leave the
private sector and flee to a 60 per cent subsidised reduction through Synergy.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, come back to the solar energy bit, thanks.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : When it comes to energy, the Labor Party has a poor track
record. It has shown that it does not understand what Western Power does, and
it is wilfully negligent on fiscal policy.
As he well knows, the Liberal–National government is a strong supporter
of the expansion of solar energy. When we came to government in 2008, an
estimated 400 households used solar energy; 190 000 households in the south
west interconnected system now use solar energy. If we include households
outside SWIS, the number is over 200 000. Importantly, when we came to office,
no commercial outlets used solar energy. There are now 20 000 commercial
businesses using solar energy. The problem we have is that our system was based
not on distributed generation but on large-scale generating units. The
regulatory regime that applied to solar in the beginning was quite onerous. We
have asked the regulators—EnergySafety and the Economic Regulation
Authority—and of course Western Power, to look at this and try to
remove the barriers to the expansion of solar energy on rooftops, both
residential and commercial. Yesterday we announced a couple of major reforms
relating to the commercial sector that will reduce the owners'
connection standards and remove redundant protection requirements because
things have advanced, the installations are up to scratch and we do not need
those onerous standards. We have also reduced the licensing requirements. That
saves a commercial facility $60 000 in installation costs. We expect a substantial
response. Commercial solar energy is growing at over 25 per cent a year, which
is a major expansion. That is a good thing.
I was reading Labor's little
red book —
Mr
P.T. Miles : Big red book.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : Yes, it is a big red book. Labor has illustrated in one of its
commitments that it is either wilfully negligent on fiscal policy or does not
have a clue what Western Power does. It states —
WA Labor will legislate to ensure the
cost of electricity of small business end users is the same as the amount
charged by Western Power.
When a firm buys electricity, it
comes from two sources—Western Power, which has responsibility for the
poles and wires, is about 40 per cent of the cost, and retail generation and
the rest are 60 per cent. The Labor Party probably does not understand what
Western Power does, which brings into question, in the whole debate about
Western Power, its knowledge of it. It says that it will give a subsidised 60 per
cent reduction in the cost of electricity to small businesses. Who is going to
pay for this? With Synergy alone, the subsidy from taxpayers over five years
will be equivalent to $1.5 billion. The Leader of the Opposition is in charge
of this document. Either he stands by his commitment to his rank and file and
gives a 60 per cent subsidy to electricity users or he has to admit that he
does not have a clue what Western Power does. We know it is probably both. By
the way, if he did this, it would destroy not just Synergy, Alinta and Perth
Energy, but also the other competitors because everybody would leave the
private sector and flee to a 60 per cent subsidised reduction through Synergy.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, come back to the solar energy bit, thanks.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : When it comes to energy, the Labor Party has a poor track
record. It has shown that it does not understand what Western Power does, and
it is wilfully negligent on fiscal policy.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.