Households to trade renewable energy in NSW Greens plan

The NSW Greens have launched a plan to make households and small businesses “critical players” in the state’s transition to 100 per cent renewables, trading rooftop solar and other renewable power sources across a publicly-owned network.

Launched on Monday, the $850 million plan – which aims to achieve cheaper and more stable electricity prices and to eliminate power sector emissions – is based around the creation of public sector Energy Service Agencies.

According to Greens NSW MP John Kaye, the $750 million agencies would provide financial and technical support to households and small business to facilitate the shift from coal and gas to renewables like rooftop solar, as well as energy efficient equipment and intelligent energy trading and management.

The plan also calls for investment in a “smart grid” that would allow NSW households and businesses to buy and sell clean energy, including roof top solar and regional and state-wide wind power.

And as Premier Mike Baird’s plan to privatise NSW’s power assets rapidly loses voter support http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/support-falling-for-mike-bairds-electricity-privatisation-plan-despite-20-billion-infrastructure-promise-20150209-139iqh.html, the Greens plan would also have the state’s wires and poles remain in public hands – to boost the transition to a grid focused on renewable energy and local energy trading.

“Households and small businesses would no longer be passive consumers of electricity,” Kaye said in a media release on Monday.

“Instead they would become active participants in the electricity industry, trading roof top solar electricity and other renewable sources across a publicly-owned network. This will enable them to manage their use to minimise their costs and assist the network transition to clean energy sources.” rooftop-solar6-150x150

The NSW Greens’ plan to shift the state to 100 per cent renewables – a plan it says would help position NSW as a world-leader in clean energy – includes a timetable to phase out the state’s coal-fired generators.

The party estimates such an energy transition would bring more than 70,000 new jobs to the state and serve as a platform for the development of an export-oriented manufacturing and services industry.

“Transformation of the state’s energy industry is inevitable,” said Kay in a statement on Monday.

“There are massive economic, environmental and social benefits of doing it early and ensuring that households can benefit from becoming active participants in the clean technology future.

“This will reduce the need for massive investment in new power lines while increasing opportunities for central station renewable energy sources like solar thermal and wind.

“The next generation of jobs will only become a reality if this state starts the transition now and gets ahead of the rest of the world.

“Households will be critical players in efforts to transition to 100% renewable energy in NSW.

“That’s why the Greens would create new public sector energy service agencies. We believe families need an ally they can trust as they make the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

“Public control over the distribution and transmission network is also essential to creating the clean energy future,” Kay said.

“Premier Mike Baird’s plans will to pass control of much of the electricity network to private hands would create political and financial barriers to the remaking of the network.”

Comments

6 responses to “Households to trade renewable energy in NSW Greens plan”

  1. Chris Fraser Avatar
    Chris Fraser

    Are the Greens able to read our minds or something ? To many this would be manna from heaven. Congratulations and good luck, while we delve carefully into costings to do this for a mere $850M (chickenfeed for the benefit).Maybe it’s a reasonable figure. Make the legislative changes in the Electricity Supply Act and unlock roof owners’ investment dollar ! They will have no shortage of additional reasons such as improving the value of their homes, and having energy on tap in their storages.

  2. Neil_Copeland Avatar
    Neil_Copeland

    For such a plan to work effectively it would need to be across the NEM, not just in NSW

    1. Chris Fraser Avatar
      Chris Fraser

      I suspect the market would be more accessible if it was NEM-wide. However NSW could permit its microgenerators to buy and sell amongst themselves. I think i would be grateful for anyone to start, and be an example to others. Total grid generation and demand is still managed AEMO-wide as before …

    2. Jim Mitchell Avatar
      Jim Mitchell

      “For such a plan to work effectively” we should abolish the states.
      None the less extremely encouraging to see such ideas seeing the light of day and no doubt with the millions of microgenerators in the suburbs of the country, an idea that people power will get behind.

  3. Les Johnston Avatar
    Les Johnston

    So good to hear this. When unleaded petrol was introduced, NSW and Vic went for it alone and dragged the other States along. All solar power system owners effectively become energy generators with access to the publicly owned network. We need to start charging the fossil fuel generators for access to the poles and wires just like the retailers charge solar households.

  4. Miles Harding Avatar
    Miles Harding

    Herein lies the Green’s problem; they are simply unelectable with policies that make sense and are for the public good!

    Sadly, politics, particularly our desperate politics, has little to do
    with the common good and everything to do with a quick ‘fix’ and feeding the big
    snouts at the trough. The fact that we are in an era of fundamental
    economic problems that will not fix with outdated solutions is totally incomprehensible to most politicians.

    We can be sure that any sale deal struck for the sale of an overvalued asset of questionable future, like the generation, poles and wire network, will contain conditions that gift the public to the network operator.
    Like the ______ navy, it’ll be a story of rum, sodomy and the lash and I can guarantee that we’ll not be the ones drinking the rum.

    The NSW public is absolutely right to reject this sort of sell-off.

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