Taxpayers spend $10 million on expert board but still no energy plan

Taxpayers have forked out $10 million to bankroll the expert board responsible for the Coalition’s aborted energy plan, and states that contributed thousands of dollars to developing the policy are now being stonewalled by the Morrison government.

Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent developing
 the now-defunct National Energy Guarantee.

Australia is devoid of a plan to cut carbon pollution from the electricity sector after federal cabinet on Monday night agreed to drop the climate target legislation associated with its National Energy Guarantee.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared the national guarantee dead, dispensing with a year of intensive work undertaken by the Energy Security Board which devised the policy at the government’s request.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story from The Age - “Taxpayers spend $10 million on expert board but still no energy plan.”

‘Not a big drama' for electricity industry to slash emissions, says scheme architect

The head of the expert board advising the federal Coalition on its signature energy plan says it would not be a "big drama" for the electricity industry if a future Labor government enforced far stronger cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr Kerry Schott is advising the federal government on the energy plan.

Labor states say they will withhold final support for the Turnbull government proposal to merge climate and energy policy - known as the national energy guarantee - until they are assured a successive government will not be blocked from ratcheting up carbon savings.

Read the story by Nicole Hasham and Peter Carey from today’s Age - “‘Not a big drama' for electricity industry to slash emissions, says scheme architect.”