Renewables cash welcome but will not create jobs or drive industry
Canberra, Wednesday 12 May 2010
The $652 million increased investment in renewable energy in last
night’s Federal Budget will be welcomed by an industry starved of
support, but will not provide any long-term certainty for a serious
expansion in renewable energy.
The Greens will pursue in the Senate the systemic policies we need,
including an effective price on polluters and a feed-in tariff for all
sources of renewable energy, which will do far more than piecemeal
subsidies for a few government-chosen projects is no substitute for.
“This investment is a drop in the ocean compared to the billions that
would have been invested every year if the government had been willing
to work with the Greens to get a levy on polluters,” said Australian
Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.
“Being serious about harnessing our sun, wind, ocean and biomass power,
and creating tens of thousands of jobs in those sunrise industries,
means putting in place the economy-changing policies that will deliver
it, and the Greens will be pursuing those policies in the Senate.
“Piecemeal subsidies will just see Australia importing technologies from
overseas to build a handful of plants, not creating long-term jobs in
manufacturing and installation. This is the result of driving innovation
offshore over many years.
“To do that, we need a higher renewable energy target, a feed-in tariff,
loan guarantees, an industry development plan, R&D funding and a real
price on carbon that will ensure that emissions reducing activities are
competitive instead of channelling funds back to the pockets of the
polluters.”
The short-list of projects to be funded by Solar Flagships and the
Renewable Energy Development Program, released last night after the
Budget, has bypassed options for baseload solar power with thermal
storage technology in favour of hybrid coal-solar projects that are
being leap-frogged around the world.
“Putting Martin Ferguson in charge of funding renewables programs is
like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
“It is no wonder that Martin Ferguson has chosen to turn a blind eye to
the baseload solar with storage options that have the potential to
seriously challenge coal’s dominance in Australia.
“Minister Ferguson’s priorities quite explicitly lie with protecting the
coal companies, even when he is supposed to be funding renewable energy
projects.
“Doubtless, many of the projects funded are worthy of investment, but
the fact that there were 52 applications for Solar Flagships – many from
global leaders in the business – shows that what is necessary is a
systemic program to give these companies the support they need to all
start investing in Australia.
“Imagine the jobs boom and the tremendous benefits for clean air and the
climate if all those 52 applications were competitive thanks to a
feed-in tariff or loan guarantee.
“The Greens will be pursuing these policies in the Senate to give the
renewable energy sector what it needs to boom in this sunny country.”
Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne | Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate
Change Spokesperson
Suite SG-112 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3588 | M: 0437
587 562
http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au
<http://www.greensmps.org.au/>
PROTECTING THE CLIMATE IS A JOB FOR EVERYONE