Victoria’s renewable energy target to be dumped if the Coalition win 2018 Victorian election

THE state opposition’s plan to dump the Victorian Renewable Energy Target will put thousands of new jobs at risk, the Andrews Government says.

Mr Guy has promised to “scrap this unrealistic target so Victorians don’t have to pay even more for their electricity”.

THE state opposition’s plan to dump the Victorian Renewable Energy Target will put thousands of new jobs at risk, the Andrews Government says.

Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the government’s VRET will drive billions of dollars in investment in renewables and large-scale energy storage by providing certainty to industry and that was now being put at risk by the Coalition.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy revealed he would dump the state-based target if the Coalition wins the 2018 election, arguing the scheme is unnecessary and drives up household costs.

The Andrews Government has set a target that 25 per cent of electricity generated in the state comes from renewable energy by 2020, and 40 per cent by 2025.

The Coalition cites modelling done by the Andrews Government, which hasn’t been publicly released, that suggests the Victorian Renewable Energy Target would cost households $520 over the life of the program, or $1.2 billion in total.

Sate Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Under the VRET, an auction scheme will be set up for companies to bid for long-term contracts, with costs likely to flow to consumers from 2020.

But Friends of the Earth renewable energy spokesman Pat Simons said the Coalition decision was all about “ideology”.

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He said of new forms of generation, wind and solar are most economical and an attack on them risks power price rises.

“The VRET is a significant element of Victoria’s response to climate change. By threatening to cut the VRET without offering a credible plan of their own, the Coalition is sending a clear message it opposes action on climate change,” Mr Simons said.

Mr Guy today said he would scrap the VRET “so Victorians don’t have to pay even more for their electricity”.

The soon to close Hazelwood Power Station. Picture: AFP

He said Victorians were already paying more for power because Hazelwood power station was set to close in March, with Premier Daniel Andrews “now setting an unrealistic target on renewable energy, which is going to push up electricity costs even more”.

A Coalition policy document says the party supports a “national framework in the transition to cleaner energy and is technologically agnostic in how this is achieved”.

The document says an extra 1800MW of renewable energy projects would have to be built in Victoria under the VRET, an amount “similar to what Victoria now has in large-scale wind and small-scale solar projects combined”.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull backed Mr Guy’s decision, saying “the result of unrealistic state-based targets has been huge power bills for families and businesses and unreliable supply”.

“With a businesslike, commonsense approach, we can keep the lights on, keep power bills affordable and reduce emissions,” he said.

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