The debate on the ACT’s solar electricity generation scheme took a bitter turn yesterday as the territory Government won the in-principal support it needs for the third tranche of its solar program. Accusations and insults flew around the Legislative Assembly Chamber as the Canberra Liberals voiced their opposition to final phase of solar power legislation and voted against the Bill which would enable the establishment of big solar farms in or around the ACT.
Environment Minster Simon Corbell said the laws could lead to at least two major commercial solar facilities constructed in the ACT, capable of powering about 7000 homes.
The Government intends to conduct a ”reverse auction” where private sector operators will vie to offer the lowest possible 20-year fixed price for up to 210MW of large-scale renewable energy.
Mr Corbell said this could mark a new era in renewable energy in the territory.
”These potential solar facilities could provide as much as 14 per cent of the minimum electricity demand of the ACT, which would assist in reducing carbon emissions and take the ACT closer to carbon neutrality by 2060,” the minister said.
But Liberals leader Zed Seselja made it clear from the outset yesterday that his party was implacably opposed to the expansion, arguing that the Bill did not guarantee any jobs or development in the territory.
”At best, it is a clumsy way to expand a scheme that has already proven unmanageable and unaffordable, not just in Canberra but around the country,” he said.
”At worst it is a very expensive way to do very little.
”On the back of what many claim is a dismally mismanaged small and micro feed-in tariff scheme that saw the demise of the industry in the ACT, long installation delays and untold millions of taxpayers money wasted, the Government is telling us today that it is ready to implement a large scale scheme, seven times as large as the one it has just bungled.”
ACT Greens’ climate change spokesman Shane Rattenbury indicated his party’s qualified support for the legislation but said that there might be amendments on the way.
Then Mr Rattenbury went on the attack, accusing Mr Seselja of making an ”ideological speech” and advocating ”doing nothing” about climate change.
”The fact that the Liberal Party took a briefing on this late yesterday demonstrates the fact that they didn’t care, really, what the detail was,” he said. ”I think Mr Seselja’s speech was largely written before that briefing and some of the lack of grip on the details was frankly, almost embarrassing, and some days it must be depressing to see the world through Mr Seselja’s eyes.”
Mr Corbell was also scathing in his attack on the Opposition, accusing it of ”policy bankruptcy”. He dragged out the Liberals’ policy from the 2008 territory election, when the Opposition promised to build a solar power station.
”The hypocrisy is absolutely astounding,” Mr Corbell told the chamber.
”Contrast that with what Mr Seselja has been saying for four years, that large-scale solar is inefficient, that it’s too costly that imposes pain on Canberra households and that they won’t support it.”
