Hundreds of thousands of Australians who voluntarily buy electricity from renewable energy sources would be left without a reason to do so if a recommendation of the Warburton Review into the Renewable Energy Target (RET) was adopted.
The Alternative Technology Association (ATA) has warned that the voluntary GreenPower scheme, with 600,000 existing customers in Australia, would quickly lose consumer support.
The review has recommended that voluntary renewable energy electricity purchases through GreenPower be included within the mandated annual RET targets. GreenPower customers voluntarily pay extra to increase the percentage of renewable electricity generated above government-mandated targets.
“GreenPower will basically collapse overnight if the Federal Government chooses to adopt this recommendation,” Damien Moyse, the ATA’s policy and research manager, said.
“Since the accredited GreenPower scheme was introduced in 2001, the renewable energy purchased through the scheme has always been additional to annual targets under the RET,” Mr Moyse said.
“This scheme exists to provide a way for people who wish to go beyond the mandated targets and achieve up to 100% of their electricity consumption from renewable energy. If this additional amount is simply rolled into a fixed target that is going to be delivered anyway, irrespective of what choices any individual makes, then the incentive to buy GreenPower in the first place is completely eroded.
“The members of the Warburton RET Review panel clearly did not understand the purpose and operational issues associated with GreenPower.”
In 2013, GreenPower purchases resulted in $80 million invested in Australia’s renewable energy industry.
“Hundreds of thousands of Australians have been voting with their wallets over the past 13 years for more renewable energy by buying GreenPower,” Mr Moyse said. “It shows a widespread commitment for clean energy in this country.”
He called on the Government to respect the wishes of 600,000 GreenPower customers and leave the GreenPower arrangements separate to annual targets under the RET.
The ATA is Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation promoting household renewable energy, sustainable design and water saving.
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ATA publishes ReNew: technology for a sustainable future, and Sanctuary: modern green homes, magazines.
ATA – Alternative Technology Association, www.ata.org.au
