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TheGreens'planforgettingto100percentrenewableenergy
Wereinaclimateemergency,andneedtodomore
toencouragecleanenergyinvestmentinAustralia.
Whiletheoldpartieswaxandwaneontackling
globalwarmingandonpollutionpricingandclean
energy,theGreenshaveaplantostandstrongfora
100%renewableAustralia.
TheGreenshelpedbuildthefoundationsofthecleanenergy
economyinAustraliawiththeCleanEnergyAct.Chargingbig
companiestopollute,investingthemoneyincleanenergyand
helpingAustralianssaveenergyathomeisworking:energy
pollutionisdownmorethan7%already.
Butwereinaclimateemergency,andtheoldpartiesarestill
proppingupfossilfuelcompanieswithsubsidies,public
investmentfromtheFutureFund,andplanstomassively
expandcoalexports.
now.Renewableenergyisgettingcheaper,whilegasandcoal
plantswillfaceincreasingcarbonpollutionscosts.
Itsbetterfortheclimate,ourairandwater,ourhealthand
forjobs.Renewablesemploymorepeopleperunitofenergy
thanpollutingfossilfuels.
LONGTERMVISIONFORCLEANENERGY
TheRenewableEnergyTargetneedstobeextended,expanded
andsecureduntilwehave100%renewableenergyinAustralia.
TheGreensknowthatweneedtodomoretoencourageclean
energyinvestmentinAustralia.Thatmeansstability,certainty,
andlongtermvision.
OnlytheGreenshaveaplantomakeAustraliathebestplacein
theworldtobuildcleanenergy,byincreasingtheRETto90%by
2030andextendingityearonyearafterthat.
TheGreenssupport100%renewableenergyasquicklyaswe
canachieveit.Togetthere,theGreensCleanEnergy
Roadmapwill:
TheRenewableEnergyTargetisasuccessful,tripartisanpolicy
thatprovidesinvestmentcertaintyandishelpinginvestorsbuild
wind,solarandmore.Butitrunsoutin2020,andTonyAbbotts
Coalitionhasspentmonthspretendingtosupportitwhile
sendingMPsouttoextremeantiwindrallies.
IncreasetheRenewableEnergyTargetto90%by2030.This
willgiveinvestorsandelectricitynetworkregulatorsthelong
termpolicycertaintytheyneed.
IncreaseCleanEnergyFinanceto$30billionovertenyears,
providinganinjectionof$3billionperyear,todrive
commercialisationofemergingtechnologyandhelpAustralia
catchupwithleadingrenewableenergynations.
Improvenationalelectricitytransmissionplanningtocost
effectivelyexploitourhugerenewableenergyresources.
ITSPOSSIBLETODAY
LandmarkresearchbytheAustralianEnergyMarketOperator,
aswellasindependentacademics,hasclearlyshownthata
cleanenergyAustraliaispossible.WecanpowerAustraliawith
thewind,sun,andwaterforacostsimilartoreplacingthe
ageingcoalandgasplantsthatarenearingtheendoftheirlives
PrintedandauthorisedbySenatorChristineMilne,ParliamentHouseCanberraACT2600.
DRIVINGTHETRANSFORMATION
TheCleanEnergyFinanceCorporationisaworldleading,
independentgroupofexpertstaskedwithcommercialising
emergingcleanenergytobenefitallAustralians.TheGreens
havebuiltthefoundationsbycreatingtheCEFC,anditwillstart
itsinvestmentsonJuly1thisyear,buildingsolarplants,wind
farmsandinvestinginenergyefficiencyinmanufacturing.
Butweneedtotakethenextsteps,orwewontcutpollution
enoughtoaverttheworstimpactsofglobalwarming.
ThatswhyweplantoincreaseCleanEnergyFinanceto$3
billionperyear,forthenexttenyears.Anoverallinvestmentof
$30billionforacleanerfuture.
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PLANNINGFOR100%CLEANENERGY
Australiaalsoneedstoplanandrolloutanelectricity
transmissionsystemthatopensupmassiveinvestmentandjob
opportunitiesinnewareasabundantinsun,windorgeothermal
resources.Tobuildtherighttransmissionlinksintherightplace
attherighttimeandattherightscale,theGreens'willmake
theAustralianEnergyMarketOperatorasingle,independent
planningagencytoadministeranationaltransmissionplanning
andreliabilityframework.
OnlytheGreenshaveaplanto
makesurewemakeAustralia
thebestplaceintheworldto
buildcleanenergy.
> KEY POINTS OF THE GREENS' PLAN
1) Weareinaglobalwarmingemergency.Ifweareasociety
thatcaresaboutleavingasafeclimateforourchildren,and
ifAustraliaistocontributefairlytotheglobalchallengeof
limitingglobalwarmingtolessthan2degrees,ourlong
termcarbonbudgetisgoingtobetightandemissionsfrom
theelectricitysectormustultimatelyfalltozero.
2) Thecheapestwaytodecarbonisetheelectricitysectoristo
planthetransitionearlyandbuildtherightenergy
infrastructureintherightplaceattherighttime.The
PrintedandauthorisedbySenatorChristineMilne,ParliamentHouseCanberraACT2600.
objectiveistoavoidwastingtimeandmoneyon
investmentsthatdontadequatelyaddressclimatechange.
3) Thedebateisover,renewableenergyisreliable.The
argumentthatrenewableenergyisintermittentand
thereforeunreliablehasalwaysbeenagrossover
simplificationpeddledbythosewithavestedinterestin
slowinginvestmentinrenewableenergy.
4) Carbonpricingisanessentiallongtermpolicy,butitisin
Australiasinteresttomakestrategicdecisionsaboutour
energyfuturenow.Ifwewaitforcarbonpricestobehigh
enoughtodriveinvestmentawayfromcoalandgasto
renewables,weriskinvestingingenerationand
transmissionassetsthatbecomeincreasingly
uncompetitive,andunderinvestinginrenewableenergy.
Eventually,ascarbonpricesrisetheemissionstrading
schemewilldisplacetheRenewableEnergyTargetasthe
driverofrenewableenergyinvestment,butinthe
meantimeitisinthenationalinteresttohavea90%
renewableenergytargetfor2030.
5) AccordingtoarecentlypublishedanalysisbytheAustralian
EnergyMarketOperatorrelyingon100%renewableenergy
istechnicallyachievable.Itcanbeachievedwitharangeof
technologiesinamyriadofways.Otheracademicstudies
havereachedthesameconclusion.
6) Achieving100%renewableenergyby2030isprojectedto
increaseelectricitypricesbyanamountsimilartobusiness
asusualifthereisatleastsomeglobalactiononclimate
change.A90%RETby2030isatechnicallyeasierstepping
stoneonthepathto100%renewables.
7) Ifwearetorollouttherenewableenergyfast,theClean
EnergyFinanceCorporationneedsthecapacityforgreater
investment.TheproblemthattheCEFCseekstosolveis
thattherearearangeoffinancialbarriersto
commercialisinganddeployingcleanerenergy
technologies.TheGreenswillincreasetheguaranteed
fundingfortheCEFCfrom$10billionoverfiveyearsto$30
billionoverten.Thiswouldincreasespendingfroman
averageof$2billioneachyear,to$3billioneachyear.
8) Toimprovethecoordinationandplanningofgrid
infrastructure,theGreensbelievethattheAustralian
EnergyMarketOperatorshouldbeestablishedasasingle,
independentplanningagencytoadministeranational
transmissionplanningandreliabilityframework.
9) ThebudgetaryimpactoftheGreens'plantoextendand
increasethefinancemandateoftheCleanEnergyFinance
Corporationwillbebasedonthesameaccounting
principlesappliedbytheTreasuryandtheDepartmentof
FinanceandDeregulation:Ifanentityinthegeneral
governmentsectorisundertakinginvestmentstoachievea
return,thentheydonotimpactonthebudgetbottomline.
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