The West Australian government is considering scrapping rooftop solar panel subsidies in favour of supporting increased use of battery storage following a recommendation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Energy Minister Ben Wyatt is investigating how the state government can phase-out subsidies for the rooftop panels, telling The West Australian on Tuesday they were no longer needed.
Mr Wyatt said batteries would reduce energy prices while providing security using existing infrastructure.
"While the cost of solar PV systems has reduced significantly since the introduction of the Renewable Energy Target and is now considered economically viable in the absence of government subsidy, the implications of such a change need to be fully thought through, including the impact on the local solar industry," Mr Wyatt said.
