Page 2360 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Le Couteur for the question. The answer to Ms Le Couteur’s question is quite simple: existing micro and medium scale renewable energy generators who were eligible and who were connected prior to the closure of the feed-in tariff scheme are guaranteed payments under that scheme for an extended period.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Given that the figures I referred to earlier relate only to the feed-in tariff, can you report how many people are currently connecting under ActewAGL’s solar buyback scheme?
MR CORBELL: No, I am not able to do that but I am happy to make inquiries of ActewAGL and provide advice to Ms Le Couteur.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Minister, can you give the Assembly an update on the large scale solar process?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Seselja for his interest in the large scale solar process. The large scale solar project has received a very strong level of interest from consortia who are wanting to bid in the scheme. The government went to an expressions of interest process, the first stage of the auction, earlier this year. We received a very strong level of interest. I am just trying to recall the exact figures now, but certainly over 30 individual proposals had been put forward for access to the large scale feed-in tariff reverse auction.
Those initial bids or expressions of interest are now being assessed by the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate against the criteria as to whether or not they will be eligible to bid. Members will recall that the government has established a two-stream bidding process. Those parties who are ready to put a best and final offer this year, who have done their due diligence and who have done all of the other assessments they believe are necessary for them, will be invited to make a best and final offer for up to 20 megawatts of the 40-megawatt tranche this year.
Other parties who are assessed as eligible but not yet ready to make their best and final offer will be given the opportunity to do that in the second part of this first tranche auction, the other 20 megawatts, later this year or early next year. At this point in time we are on time in terms of our assessment of the proposals and the proceeding to best and final offer for those entities willing and able to make that bid.
This is a very exciting development for the ACT. We are leading the nation when it comes to the deployment of large scale renewable energy, particularly with the ongoing question marks over the commonwealth’s solar flagships.
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