Save Solar campaign hits regional TV screens

The solar industry-driven campaign to preserve Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) has stepped up a notch, with the launch on Tuesday of a television advertising campaign that will run in regional Queensland and regional Victoria in the lead up to state elections, as well as on Sky News.

Produced by the Australian Solar Council as part of its Save Solar campaign targeting Australia’s marginal electorates, the ad calls on voters to boycott political parties who would cut the RET, warning that any changes to the target could make rooftop solar unaffordable for the average household.

The ad – you can watch it below – features a young woman who wants to get solar on her home so she can cut her power bill “by around 65 per cent.” The woman warns that cuts the RET would see thousands of households forced to keep paying huge power bills.

“Voters going to the polls in Victoria and Queensland should be aware where the parties stand on support for solar,” said John Grimes, chief executive of the Australian Solar Council.

“Governments should be making it easier, not harder, for families to drastically cut their power bills.

“By abolishing or cutting the Renewable Energy Target, the Government will be locking millions of Australian families into every spiralling power bills,” Grimes said.

The ASC’s Save Solar campaign kicked off last week with its first two Forums in northern Brisbane (in the seat of Petrie) and in Queanbeyan (in the electorate of Eden-Monaro) – the two events combined attracting more than 1,000 people.

The next Save Solar Forum will be held in the seat of Barton (in Sydney) on 17 September, and will be attended by Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten; Shadow Environment Minister, Mark Butler; and Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne. PUP Senate Leader, Glenn Lazarus, and the Member for Barton, Nickolas Varvaris, have also been invited.

Save Solar TV Campaign Ad from Solar Council on Vimeo.