Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens' Energy spokesperson
The Liberals' announcement they plan to adopt the Greens' renewable energy target, to make Tasmania 100% energy efficient by 2022, is welcome news. What's very unclear, however, is how they plan to get there.
The Liberals' announcement is an acknowledgment we need action on renewables, and testament to the work of countless campaigners over the last 30 years to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impacts of climate change.
Energy Minister, Matthew Groom, appears to have finally noticed the tide of renewable energy momentum that's washing over him.
100% renewable electricity generation is within Tasmania’s grasp, but this is in spite of the Liberals’ and their lack of leadership. Without a plan on how they'll get there, their announcement today is hollow.
The Liberals' statement has no details of how they will reverse the widening inequalities for users in our electricity generation system, especially low-income Tasmanians. They have resisted establishing solar feed-in-tariff pricing that will create incentives for households to put photovoltaics on their roof, and remain in the grid system when they do.
The Liberals are still wedded to milking their energy GBEs - especially TasNetworks - for as much profit as they possibly can. Jobs and expansion in the solar renewables sector will remain throttled, and household electricity prices will continue to increase, unless this is changed.
The Liberals' energy announcement is silent about action in relation to liquid fuels, which arrive by sea. This is a security risk, and a waste of $1 billion a year that could be spent in the State.
Climate change and energy security are a critical concern for everyone. We encourage the Liberals to read the rest of the Greens' Energy Strategy for some real policy ideas on bringing down greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing energy security and justice.