Bandt Tells Taylor To Do His Job And Extend The RET

Greens climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has called on Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor to “end the war on renewables” and extend Australia’s Renewable Energy Target.

On Wednesday, Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator announced it had approved enough renewable energy capacity and enough had been constructed to guarantee Australia’s Large-scale Renewable Energy Target of 33,000 gigawatt hours will be met in 2020.

It’s good news – it really wasn’t all that long ago when many in Australia’s energy sector first ignored and then laughed at renewables. The situation brings to mind the oft-quoted saying:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

While the third bit of that is still happening and the final element is really yet to occur, Minister Taylor wasn’t shy in claiming a victory for the Morrison Government, stating:

“We are a Government that delivers on our promises.”

But the Climate Council says Minister Taylor can’t claim any credit for this.

“He wanted the renewable energy target to be abolished,” said Climate Council Head of Research, Dr Martin Rice.

The announcement was another opportunity for Minister Taylor to remind Australians everything is going splendidly on the emissions reduction front.

“Under this Government’s leadership, Australia will beat its 2020 and 2030 emissions reduction commitments while ensuring our economy remains strong.”

However, data released late last month revealed Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen again. Perhaps Minister Taylor is working on the premise that if you repeat something often enough, it may not happen overnight; but it will happen.

Angus Taylor, Renewables And Internet Dating

The big question for large-scale renewables now is what’s next given the Government has no intention of extending the RET, something Mr. Bandt is highly critical of. He says Australia’s energy sector is “facing a valley of death” when it comes to investment.

“Angus Taylor is like an internet dater ghosting on the state and territory Energy Ministers, refusing to host a COAG Energy Minister’s meeting since December 2018. We are a country floundering without an energy policy,” said Mr. Bandt. “Angus Taylor needs to do his job, call a COAG meeting and extend the RET to lower energy costs and cut pollution.”

Australia’s Clean Energy Council is just looking for some solid rules of play for the energy game going forward.

“The industry doesn’t need new subsidies, we just need certainty – renewable energy can continue to create opportunities for regional parts of the country for many decades with the right policies in place,” commented CEC CEO Kane Thornton on Wednesday. “We’ve always said that if you set us a target, we will beat it.”