The Minister for the Environment and Energy, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, used an address at Monday’s National Energy Summit in Sydney to signpost the looming death of the clean energy target (CET)?—?a key finding of the independent review into the future security of the national electricity market by the Commonwealth’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO.
Speaking at the same event, the Opposition Leader, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, took his opportunity to offer the electorate a clear contrast, saying “we (Labor) are ready to vote for a clean energy target”.
Spruiking the cost reductions in renewable sources of energy, such as wind-generation and solar PV technology, the Energy Minister said “it is against this backdrop of a declining cost curve for renewables and storage, greater efficiencies that can be found in thermal generation and the need for sufficient dispatchable power in the system, that we are considering the Finkel Review’s 50th recommendation, to which we’ll respond before the end of the year”.
Commentators immediately viewed these remarks as the death knell for the CET within the Coalition party room, which next meets in Canberra on Tuesday morning, after the Energy Minister queried public support for the target if households couldn’t afford their power bills. “Should reliability and affordability be compromised, public support for tackling climate change will quickly diminish and previous gains will be lost. This is in nobody’s interest,” said the Energy Minister.
The Minister’s speech contrasted with the Opposition Leader, who doubled down on commitments on a 50 per cent renewable energy target boasting, “walking away (from the CET) is the worst possible option”.
Setting an election dichotomy, the Opposition Leader challenged the Government, saying “it is a simple choice that Mr Turnbull faces. Work with Labor to deliver a clean energy target that is meaningful, or lock in higher power bills for businesses and families”.
