Australia sticks to 41,000-GWh 2020 renewable energy target

Dec 19, 2012 - Australia's Climate Change Authority on Wednesday said it had kept the country's large-scale goal under the Renewable Energy Target programme at 41,000 GWh for 2020.

Under the scheme, renewable power output in Australia is expected to reach about 65,000 GWh in 2020-21, up from about 30,000 GWh currently, while some 102 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are to be mitigated over this period.

In its final report on the scheme, the authority said the programme was on track to achieve its goals of encouraging additional renewable energy generation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector. With renewable generation in the country having increased nearly two times since 2001, renewable power now makes up over 10% of the total generation in Australia.

According to power market modelling carried out for the Climate Change Authority, the current scheme would lead to an yearly rise of between AUD 12 and AUD 64 to the annual power bill of an average household in today’s dollars by 2020-21.

The measures recommended by the authority in the report include a reduction in the small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) eligibility threshold for small-scale solar photovoltaic units below its current level of 100kW to reduce the risk of a boom in solar PV installations on commercial buildings pushing costs up. In addition, it is recommended for small-scale installations not to receive any "deemed" certificates connected with generation beyond 2030.

The authority has submitted the final report, which includes more than 30 recommendations, to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

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