Qld govt attacks Turnbull energy fund

Queensland's government says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's changes to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency will threaten solar projects in the state.

The Queensland government says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's $1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund will actually threaten large-scale solar projects in the state.

The federal government is establishing the fund in July to be jointly managed by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), entities that were to be scrapped by the Abbott government.

The Australian Solar Council claims that the new investment fund is a billion dollar cut from ARENA, which is a key partner of the Queensland government in delivering renewable projects.

"If ARENA loses all its capability for grant funding from a merge with CEFC that is a very negative outcome for large-scale solar in Queensland," state Energy Minister Mark Bailey said.

"Many of these (solar) projects will not go ahead if the prime minister succeeds with his changes."

Mr Turnbull has said the government would "retain and reinvigorate" the CEFC and ARENA.


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Source: AAP


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