Aussies want steady energy transition to safeguard bills: CSIRO survey

A majority of Australians oppose a fast transition to renewables amid concern over higher power bills, underscoring the challenges facing the Albanese government, according to CSIRO.

Royalla Solar Farm, 30km south of Canberra. Picture: Mick Tsikas/AAP Image

A majority of Australians oppose a fast transition to renewables amid concern over higher power bills, while one in four would reject living near transmission lines, underscoring challenges facing Anthony Albanese to hit green goals.

Australia must replace its ageing fleet of coal generators, and the federal Labor government has set a target of having renewable energy generate 82 per cent of electricity by 2030 – a target that will drastically reshape the country’s $2.5tr economy and disrupt regional communities.

The transition, however, is deeply divisive and recent spikes in power pills have stoked concern that support for new renewable energy generation is waning – and a survey of 6,700 Australians around the country by the CSIRO showed the issue of affordability remains a key reason for some 60 per cent of respondents insisting Australia should embrace a moderate or slow move away from fossil fuels.

Respondents were given a broad definition of each scenario.

The remaining 40 per cent said they would support a fast transition that would require substantial increases in renewable energy generation and transmission lines to carry the green power produced.

The CSIRO said the findings illustrate that Australians are supportive of reducing carbon emissions, but there is concern about the negative impact of the transition.

“In summary, while Australians generally agreed that shifting to renewable energy will have positive outcomes overall, there remains a level of uncertainty about the potential negative impacts of the transition, the survey findings read.

The survey findings will be seized on both sides of politics. Labor, which is pushing aggressively to deliver new renewable energy generation amid concerns that coal plants will close before green replacements have been built, claimed a mandate for its policy.

“CSIRO’s research finds that nearly 90 per cent of Australians want a high or moderate transition to renewables. Labor’s energy plan is backed by Australian experts who understand what our energy system needs, and we’re delivering cheap, clean, renewable energy in the grid, firmed by storage and gas right now,” a spokeswoman for federal Energy minister Chris Bowen.

But the Coalition will seize on the findings as evidence that its alternative policy, using nuclear energy, is the most viable solution – and the survey showed entrenched opposition, particularly to new high-voltage transmission lines.

Australia must build around 10,000km of transmission lines by 2050 to connect new renewable energy to the grid, but many local communities oppose the developments despite ever larger financial sweeteners from state governments.

Transmission lines as a result shape as the biggest impediment to new renewable energy. Many large-scale renewable energy projects remain on the sidelines as developers wait for certainty that they will be able to connect to the grid before committing billions of dollars in new investment.

Labor has pledged $20bn to accelerate the development of transmission lines, but local opposition continues to drag works on the transmission lines – much to the concern of the likes of the Australian Energy Market Operator.

If renewable energy generation projects are not delivered, Australia will need to either extend the lifespan of coal generators or run the risk of higher bills.

But communities in regional Australia, where many of these new renewable energy generators are set to be built – insist their property values will plummet and businesses will be impacted by transmission lines.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton insists his nuclear policy of installing small modular reactors will minimise the upheaval on local communities by reusing existing transmission lines.

It is not clear how the Coalition plans to secure the rights to install small modular reactors at sites owned by private companies such as AGL Energy, which last month broke ranks to criticise the nuclear plan.

Previous research by the CSIRO and commissioned by Labor showed nuclear power would cost substantially more, a claim rejected by the opposition.

While Mr Bowen has mounted an aggressive campaign against the Opposition plan, there are signs that a growing number of voters are open to nuclear amid recent soaring electricity bills.

Australians had endured two years of price increases of more than 20 per cent, though Labor will hope a small decline from July will moderate growing voter anger.

Originally published as Aussies want steady energy transition to safeguard bills: CSIRO survey