New authority needed to transform Australian electricity system

Greens MP Adam Bandt says the Australian energy system is in need of a new statutory authority. He has introduced the Renew Australia Bill 2016 into the House of Representatives to support this philosophy ahead of the upcoming federal election. 

Under the Bill, the authority would oversee the planned closure of coal-fired power stations, invest in clean renewable energy, support affected communities through the transition and rewrite energy market laws. The bill implements the Greens’ energy plan, which aims to increase energy production by about 50% and transition from dirty to clean power.

“The rules of Australia’s energy system need to be rewritten,” Bandt said.

“Government must be the midwife of the clean energy society, and that means a high level of planning to get public and private works happening in time.

“The Renew Australia Bill creates a statutory authority charged with drafting laws to rewrite the country’s energy system so that we can get off coal and onto renewables by 2030. Our existing energy generators, grid and market are no longer ‘fit for purpose’.

“The transition task is huge and requires government coordination if we’re to ensure no-one is left behind.

“Everyone now accepts that a carbon price alone won’t phase out coal in the time we need, unless it is very high.

“An overarching set of ‘new energy objectives’ is needed to shift to renewables, phase out coal in an orderly way, create a grid that supports decentralised generation and look after affected communities.”

“In advance of an election that could result in a minority parliament, the Greens are putting down a marker of what we’d bring to the negotiating table,” said Brandt.