The release of another review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), this time by the Climate Change Authority (CCA), questions the need for major change.
Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton said the CCA report concluded the RET was working effectively and should provide further impetus for the Federal Government to drop its radical proposal to slash the target and reach a more reasonable agreement on the future of the scheme.
“The renewable energy industry is currently frozen due to the uncertainty caused by multiple reviews of the RET in 2014, and the government’s proposal to slash the scheme, which has shattered the long-standing bipartisan support of the policy,” he said.
“This is the third review in two years to conclude the scheme is successful and dismisses any argument for why the scheme should be slashed. The CCA report reiterates slashing the target would actually result in higher power prices and lead to increased carbon emissions.
“Despite the growing momentum for renewable energy internationally, approximately 21,000 workers in the Australian renewable energy sector are going into Christmas wondering whether they will have a job in the new year.”
