Renewable energy has been in the political spotlight a lot lately with the federal election coming up this September. Now the issue is taking centre stage as Western Australia gears up for their state elections on March 9.
The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) has released a set of five recommendations on what they would like to see from the next state government, focusing on getting the state to recognise the economic benefits that come with the development of the world of renewable energy.
SEA is a representative body of over 300 members in the sustainable energy industry. It promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies and services.
The first recommendation is to adopt a state-based renewable energy target.
"With a renewable energy target of its own, the state would essentially establish a measure by which to judge its renewable energy progress," said Kirsten Rose, chief executive of SEA.
"It is also a good starting point for the other reforms from where business should expect less red tape and a willingness from government to make use of clean technology in infrastructure development and public services."
The following two points concentrate on reducing obstacles to commercial self-generation and purchasing a set amount of renewable energy generation for the state.
According to SEA, businesses want more certainty around government support for renewable energy and good economic incentives are one way of helping to achieve this.
Next up, SEA would like the development of WA's public transport services and infrastructure to be sped up.
Finally, SEA's last recommendation is for the state government to support the distribution of smart meters.
Smart meters record how much electricity is being used in intervals of up to an hour. It They then automatically send an electronic reading of your power usage back to your electricity supplier. This means no more estimations of usage and allows you to monitor how much power you're using more accurately.
Soon the state will find out who succeeds in the upcoming election. Then it will be a matter of keeping an eye on how much attention the government pays to these recommendations, with the hope that WA will move further towards a renewable future with technologies such as solar electricity.
Posted by Bob Dawson