nuclear-news

The Sydney Morning Herald: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Australia’s leading newspaper.

We’ll go solo on solar:  Sydney morning Herald  Cubby and Marian Wilkinson November 8, 2008

SOLAR panels will soon be earning their keep. The State Government is moving to introduce feed-in tariffs – where people generating renewable electricity will get paid extra for it – if the Federal Government does not introduce a national scheme.

The NSW Environment Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, told the Herald the state “can’t wait forever” for a national tariff and would follow other states by kick-starting a local solar industry.

“If we don’t see any movement on a national approach within the next couple of months we will put something in place in NSW because we can’t wait forever,” Ms Tebbutt said. “We want to see some pretty clear signals of a national approach. We haven’t seen those yet.”……………….

Victoria, Queensland and South Australia have introduced feed-in tariff legislation this year, with homes and some small businesses that send power back into the grid being paid at above the market rate.

In the ACT a more generous gross feed-in tariff will pay people who generate solar or wind power at home for the electricity they put back into the grid and for the energy they use. The rate is expected to be about 65 cents a kilowatt hour, with payment guaranteed for 20 years.

The Federal Government promised before last year’s election to consider a nationwide tariff to boost the solar photovoltaic industry.

The Sydney Morning Herald: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Australia’s leading newspaper.

November 10, 2008 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized