Big energy has a big “problem”. What’s the problem?
Competition. Competition from whom? From Australian citizens like you who’ve told the big power companies, “We’ll generate our own power, using solar technology. Thank you very much. Shut the door on your way out.”
Why is this “big a problem”? Well, it’s simple economics that whenever a supplier generates way more “product” than the market demands, that product’s price drops through the floor. And simple economics is biting Big Energy in the arse.
Like a pit bull terrier.
But it’s their fault. They stuck their arse out to be bitten.
You see, a while ago, big energy decided to invest HEAVILY in plant infrastructure to generate more and more power…banking on the assumption that we Australians would continue to gobble up ever increasing quantities of their coal-fired product.
(Oh, and we paid for all those infrastructure upgrades, but that’s a whole other story!)
But rather than keep hitting the crack pipe of coal power, we came to our senses and started investing in renewable energy.
We kicked the addiction and the dealer was left with suitcases full of the drug he couldn’t sell.
Big energy is stuck with way more plants and stations and power than they need. They can’t give it away.
Big energy’s coal-fired plants are now earning WAY less for the energy they produced than they did just a few years ago.
And that, according to power company and government insiders (like federal industry minister, Ian MacFarlane), is “a big problem”.
But it sounds like it should be THEIR problem. Not yours. Right?
But, of course, we know Aussies are not that naïve, are we? We know that whenever big corporations and government bureaucracy face a “problem”, they’ll expect us to fix it.
How do they want us to fix it? Well, it seems by forcing us to use more coal-fired energy. How will they force us to do this? By lowering the Renewable Energy Target…which will allow big energy to supply more non-renewable energy without penalty.
Lowering the RET would be, essentially, corporate welfare for an industry-that-doesn’t-know-it’s-dead-yet.
And potentially raise prices in solar technology industry…slowing down the adoption of renewable energy systems.
So, THEIR solution to THEIR ‘big problem’ is to cause more problems for YOU, the consumer, and the world YOU have to live in.
What’s YOUR solution to this problem? Start to get off the grid. Stop subsidising an industry that doesn’t know it’s dead yet (and save money at the same time!).
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This message was authorised by Finn Peacock, Founder of SolarQuotes.com.au, because these greedy monopolies are really starting to hack him off!
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And where _state governments_ own the electrical utility, their state government cash cow revenues are taking a mighty hit! There’s a move on right now to privatise electricity in WA. Who in their right mind would buy in, knowing that the inexorable rising cost of maintaining poles and wires will mean larger power bills, driving more and more West Aussies to renewable sources? There’s no doubt that Dr Mike Nahan is an improvement on our last state treasurer (who could be worse?) but privatisation is unlikely, given future predictable losses… .
Footnote: As battery technologies improve, it’s likely more of us will disconnect from the grid entirely. A relative on a SWWA rural property has been operating independently for over 25 years now… .
Finn,
another solution is, because the RET isn’t dead yet and has a chance to stay like is is,
is to join solarcitizens.org.au to lobby the Senate to keep the Renewable Energy Target.
That’s exactly what they are doing right now with their Great Solar Power Poll campaign.
Everyone can help out.
Sign up to help out at
http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/great_solar_poll
Thanks, Diego. That’s a very helpful link!~
With you all the way Finn, but unfortunately our government is on their side not ours, but we will win this war!