Energy ministers have an opportunity – and a duty – to end a decade of political and policy failure that has cost households and businesses dearly and constrained investment in the clean-energy technologies necessary to power our economic future and mitigate global warming and climate change.
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| Renewable energy is rapidly becoming cheaper and more efficient than fossil fuels. |
Without bipartisan support for the federal Coalition government’s National Energy Guarantee – which would establish a carbon emissions reduction guarantee in the electricity market alongside a reliability guarantee – Australia’s energy policy will remain sclerotic, with the public interest yet again subordinate to reckless politicking. There is bipartisan agreement on the need to transform to a low-emissions economy at the cheapest cost while ensuring electricity reliability and affordability.
When the state and territory ministers sit down on Friday with federal Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, they do not have to finalise details. But they must keep the National Energy Guarantee process moving. There is reason to be hopeful. The NEG has gained significant cross-party support. It is being designed by the Energy Security Board, set up by the states, territories and Canberra last year to manage the implementation of the reform blueprint commissioned from Chief Scientist Alan Finkel.
(This is an opinion I respect, but it is wrong the States and territories need to hold out for a better outcome, a deal that will genuinely and quickly reduce Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions. However, the “hold out” should only be weeks, not months or years as we simply don’t have the time to wait. The time for rhetoric, procrastination and deal making is over - Robert McLean)
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