The CEC said that the roadmap will stand the state in good stead to create new jobs, modernise its electricity sector and take full advantage of the forthcoming energy storage revolution.
“While the RET [Renewable Energy Target] is a great start, Victoria has recognised that there is plenty of scope to go above and beyond the national target and build a smarter, cleaner, more modern economy” said Clean Energy Council Policy Manager Alicia Webb. “For a state whose economy is so heavily reliant on brown coal to set a renewable energy target of at least 20 per cent by the end of the decade is very ambitious, and the government should be congratulated for showing such strong national leadership.”
Ms Webb added that more than $40 billion worth of investment and 15,200 jobs were available under the RET and that states that moved to create a more appealing investment environment would ultimately attract the greatest economic benefit. In a world that is moving away from from fossil fuels, Victoria is positioning itself well to be competitive in a low-carbon world.
“Updated analysis from the Federal Government in 2013 shows that renewable energy such as solar and wind will be among the cheapest of any energy source within a decade” Ms Webb explained. “The challenge is that we have an over-supply of out-dated and inefficient power plants that were built by the taxpayer many decades ago.”
Victoria is Australia’s brown coal capital and so when it recognised the potential of clean energy jobs and investment for the state’s future, it is a sign that change to a more modern energy system is inevitable – the main questions remaining are how fast the transition will happen and how that process can best be managed. The roadmap also addresses important areas such as difficulties in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid, encouraging solar in public housing, and the recognition that the full economic and environmental benefits of solar, distributed energy and storage have not yet been fully acknowledged.
The CEC also welcomed the promotion of its Solar PV Retailer Code of Conduct as a way to improve standards for consumers.
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