Thank goodness that’s over.
Since almost the day our current Government came to power, we have undergone a torturous, needless and spurious inquisition into the Renewable Energy Target. Yes, we look like a laughing stock Internationally. Yes, we are probably the only country in the world to be consistently unravelling support for renewables and carbon abatement. It’s true, our leaders has said some things about renewable energy that make them look like ignorant luddites.
However, they didn’t succeed in doing what they really wanted to do which was to shut us down completely. They failed to gain sufficient support to do anything other than take a nasty bite. They lost this battle, look stupid and embarrassed themselves.They are clearly out of touch and didn’t understand who and what they were dealing with. They wrecked businesses and families along the way and cost the nation Billions of dollars.
I don’t want to downplay the terrible business, environmental and human cost of what they did but we can’t go back in time, so I forgive them. The important lesson is for them – and us – to start looking forwards instead of backwards now, in my humble opinion.
Last night legislation was passed that cuts the Renewable Energy Target and adds complexity (wind farm commissioners and wood waste).Our new 33,000GWH target is less than ideal but we now have a goal post to aim for.Crucially for the majority of Australian solar workers and businesses, in practical terms the Small Scale Target remains unchanged. It’s up to us to not only show what’s possible, but to rebuild investor and consumer confidence and further alienate the haters by delivering huge, fat wads of solar and renewables.
As Seinfeld’s George Costanza famously said “We’re back baby, we’re back”.
From today, I’m calling on the entire industry, across the board to get this message out to the market; we know that consumers respond to sentiment (good or bad) and it’s our job to highlight the first positive news we have had in a long time. I’m looking at a glass that’s half full.
What good news?
- The Government has formally approved a Renewable Energy Target
- The Small Scale Solar program has been saved
- The Large Scale Solar program was trimmed but has been saved
- Support for residential solar is confirmed and unchanged
- Support for solar on businesses is confirmed and unchanged
- Systems up to 100kW are eligible for solar
- Australia’s solar citizens sent a powerful message to Government and they listened
- The entire solar industry worked together and successfully convinced Government to save solar
- Solar is about to grow through a new boom
- Investors can take confidence in what they are dealing with in the future
- Consumers can get financial support to install solar worth around 30% of the system cost
- Businesses can get financial support to install solar worth around 30% of the system cost and accelerated depreciation
- The solar industry is ready to deliver
Saddle up, and let’s get this show back on the road.
