National Energy Plan: Does WA need its own renewables target?

The Federal Government's flagship new energy plan was signed off by the Coalition partyroom this week with great fanfare — but there's growing uncertainty about what it means for WA.

Managing director of BayWA Renewable Energy, 
Durmus Yildiz, -  he fears the solar industry may be
 negatively affected by the National Energy Market.

The McGowan Government has not yet received a briefing on the national energy guarantee (NEG) policy, which is designed to operate through the National Energy Market.

WA is not a part of this market.

The new policy will see the Clean Energy Target and subsidies for renewables cut in 2020, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says there will be an opportunity to import the principles of the new system into the WA market.

While the general consensus — including from Energy Minister Ben Wyatt — is that there will be no immediate impact on WA, some in the state's energy sector are concerned.

Read the ABC News story by Nicolas Perpitch - “National Energy Plan: Does WA need its own renewables target?”

Australia moves slowly towards solar power as WA tackles "basket case"

A

ustralia is “solar-rich” and although we are decades late, the country is now moving closer to solar power.

Writing on Reneweconomy, Giles Parkinson said that West Australian energy minister Mike Nahan had conceded the state’s electricity market faces radical change, with rooftop solar to become ubiquitous on homes and businesses within a matter of years.

“In questions following an eagerly awaited speech in Perth on Tuesday, outlining the first of his government’s major energy market reforms, Nahan said solar, battery storage and off-grid installations would have a big impact on the market,” he writes.

Repairing the WA energy “basket case” is discussed in the story: “WA to go solar – may be the only way out of energy mess”.