Coronavirus: Back renewable energy as part of recovery plan, say voters

Renewable energy should be a key part of the federal government’s COVID-19 recovery plan, a new think tank has found.

Julie Bishop is an adviser to the new Blueprint Institute. Picture: AAP

A new think tank backed by former Liberal ministers Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne has found investment in renewable energy should be a key part of the federal government’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

The first research by Blueprint Institute, released on Wednesday, found a big majority of Australians support investment in renewables rather than fossil fuels.

Eighty-eight per cent of Australians would support investment, including 94 per cent of Labor voters and 79 per cent of ­Coalition supporters.

More than half of those surveyed said investment in renewable energy research and devel­opment and renewable infra­struc­ture should be one of the gov­ern­ment’s top three priorities in cre­ating new jobs and economic growth.

The report found 73 per cent agreed that a strong economy was not important without a healthy environment. The Blueprint Institute, founded by Ms Bishop’s former adviser Harry Guinness, polled 1000 respondents at the weekend for its first research paper.

The institute, which counts Ms Bishop and Mr Pyne as advisers, is seeking to position itself as a moderate voice among other Liberal Party-aligned think tanks.

The Australian on Monday revealed the former ministers would become advisers alongside ABC presenter Adam Spencer.

The federal government has so far focused its stimulus spending on housing and industry support.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said new figures from the Clean Energy Regulator on Wednesday showed the renewable energy and emissions-reduction industries were performing well and showing resilience despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “Australia is continuing to be a world leader in renewable energy,” Mr Taylor said.

The CER’s figures showed there had been no slowdown in the rate of installation of rooftop solar, which was up 33 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 from the previous corresponding period, he said.

“The Clean Energy Regulator report showed that there are still good prospects that in excess of two gigawatts of new projects will reach financial close this year, demonstrating the continued growth in this sector,” he said.

Releasing the research on Wednesday, Blueprint Institute said: “Australians identify that a potential pathway out of the economic downturn is to increase the supply of renewable energy.”