P2 Mandatory Renewable Energy Target(MRET)
The Government's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target commenced on 1 April 2001. The Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 requires the generation of 9,500 gigawatt hours of extra renewable electricity per year by 2010, enough power to meet the residential electricity needs of four million people.
The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator has been established to oversee the implementation of the measure. Information on the measure, including registration and accreditation forms, fact sheets, the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 and the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001, is now available on the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER) web site.
Policy issues relating to the legislation continue to be handled by the Australian Greenhouse Office.
The Australian Government together with state and territory governments, and representatives of the electricity supply sector, electricity users groups and the renewable energy industry contributed to the development of the measure through a Renewables Target Working Group.
Implementation Planning for Mandatory Targets for the Uptake of Renewable
Energy in Power Supplies
- Final Report of the renewables energy target working group (May 1999)
The expert opinion of various consultants was drawn upon in assessing the various implementation options.
Projections
of Price of Renewable Energy Certificates to Meet the 2% Renewable Energy
Target
- McLennan Magasanik Associates (November 1999)
2% Renewables Target in Power Supplies - Redding Energy Management Report (January 1999)
Macroeconomic and Industry Effects of the 2% renewables target - Econtech Report (April 1999)
Sectoral Impacts of the 2% Renewables Target - Tony Beck Consulting Report (April 1999)
The NHIA seeks an increase to approaching 5% before 2010.
Whilst Australia had little national leadership policy on greenhouse, Mr Zorbas in continuously communicating with the states and territories of Australia via their respective ministers, covering numerous topics, sought to encourage the states and territories to act themselves via consensus. The states and territories of Australia are all ALP and that would assist on consensus. The states and territories of Australia agreed on a national carbon trading scheme in March 2005.Such consensus can lead to other unique joint ventures and resource sharing. On May the 6th 2005 the NSW government passed a bill to allocate $millions annually for innovative water & energy saving systems .Mr Zorbas has had a significant impact on this direction with the numerous reports issued to the NSW government since 2003.
It should also be noted in fairness that the federal government has adopted a technology led policy for achieving environmental sustainability, and thus implementation must happen within a strict timeline to year 2010 by example. The more this is done the less perhaps a carbon price signal is required immediately on an international level. Australia should not "open the doors" unless its perfectly sure of the economic outcomes.
Jenny Brown-Web M