Page 2281 - Week 06 - Thursday, 6 June 2019
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consistent treatment of the renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in terms of how the targets are set and reported on.
The bill establishes provisions for clear reporting on progress against the renewable energy targets under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010. The act as it currently stands provides specific reporting requirements; however, these are tailored around the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and so are less suitable for reporting on the renewable energy target. We will address this by introducing a requirement for the minister to determine a method for measuring progress towards the renewable electricity target. Following the passage of this bill, I will publish a methodology which will clarify how ACT energy consumption will be measured, what sources of renewable electricity will be included in meeting the target and how these sources are to be measured.
The bill will also introduce a requirement to report on possible reasons for changes in the amount or percentage of renewable energy used in or generated for the ACT from previous years. This is similar to the existing requirement that applies to the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. This will add an additional level of accountability and provide the ACT community with the information required to observe progress towards the target. The government will report on progress every year in the minster’s annual climate change report, distinct from reporting on the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
The bill also amends the act to use clearer language around the distinction between a renewable energy target and a renewable electricity target. This improves the readability of the act and does not reflect any policy or substantive legislative change.
Currently the act refers in some cases to generation in the ACT. The ACT is part of the national electricity market. We secure renewable electricity generation within the NEM for the ACT, although only a fraction of this energy is generated within the ACT’s borders. This has helped to minimise the costs of renewable electricity generation and allows the market to decide on the most appropriate location for new renewable electricity generation. The bill aligns the act with the ACT government policy of sourcing renewable electricity generation for, rather than in, the ACT.
In summary, the bill establishes a target for the ACT to continue to deliver 100 per cent renewable electricity on an ongoing basis from 2020, a vital part of meeting the government’s emissions reduction targets through to 2045. It will provide additional certainty for industry and consumers by setting this target directly within the act and will also improve reporting and accountability to the target to ensure that ACT consumers are given the information required to observe progress towards the targets under the act.
I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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