Setting aside the fact that electricity from wind and the sun is about as free as electricity can get, it’s a line that’s hard to escape, mainly coming from those who are quite happy with our coal-based economy as it is, thank you very much.
In particular, they enjoy using that line to go after Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, a law which ensures that by 2020, there will be enough wind and solar energy to power the same number of homes as you’d find in all of Queensland.
For instance, Origin Energy - one of Australia’s ‘big three’ power companies - claims the target will add “up to $107 to the household’s electricity bills annually” (and like all companies trying to sell you something, it’s the “up to” you should keep an eye on).
They, and their mates at the other power companies, are using lines like this to persuade the Abbott government to weaken or even kill the Renewable Energy Target. They argue that having a compulsory national target isn’t needed, it is costing families money, and it’s not helping the environment.
The thing is, they’re wrong.
Research conducted for The Australian Conservation Foundation, The Climate Institute and WWF - Australia has found our clean energy target is actually GOOD for Australian families.
In fact, funnily enough, the real winners from going after clean energy would be...the big three power companies.
If they are allowed to continue burning coal for your energy, rather than having them invest in clean technology, Australia’s power companies stand to make a cool $8 billion between them.
And that money has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is the family budget.
This research shows that while cruelling the Target might lead to a brief drop in the average Australian electricity bill, within ten years, that bill would be higher than if we simply let the Renewable Energy Target continue doing what it is supposed to - encouraging companies to shift to 21st century technology.
Likewise, changing the target would lead to 150 million tonnes of extra pollution in Australian air by 2030 - the equivalent of unleashing an extra four million cars on our roads.
The other quirk in this is that these big coal-fired power companies love telling us how much they are fans of clean energy. Take AGL. On its website it claims “AGL is leading the way toward a more sustainable energy future”.
Yet, in its submissions to the government on the clean energy target, it’s less enthusiastic, saying “There is little point continuing with higher targets for [the Renewable Energy Target] in the future”.
This is the hypocrisy at the heart of the clean energy debate in Australia.
These companies make a lot of money from burning coal, but keep telling Australians they love solar panels.
Australians shouldn’t listen.
The fact is pollution from burning coal is a 19th century problem and there is a 21st century solution. Clean, cheap energy that doesn’t run out and won’t hurt nature. You’ll never hear of a solar spill or a wind mine catching fire.
And like always, when you see a big company trying to prevent a change that will help everyone, there’s only ever one reason – the company’s bottom line.
These companies have eight billion reasons to try to force the government to kill off clean energy in Australia.
Don’t believe them for a second - their customers are not even one of those eight billion reasons.
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