updatedQueensland Greens in the federal seat of Fisher will hold a day of action on Saturday (June 29) to highlight the truth about solar energy.
The Greens candidate for Fisher, Garry Claridge said about 24,000 households in the electorate had solar energy systems. The installation and maintenance of solar systems provides a lot of employment on the Sunshine Coast.
“Householders have been switching to clean solar power to save on their escalating energy bills,” Mr Claridge said.
“One thing that consumers and energy providers need above all else is certainty yet our solar future is in jeopardy because of the lurches in policy by the Newman government.”
He said the government had dropped the feed-in tariff to 8 cents per kilowatt hour from 44 cents but that would be reviewed again on July 1.
“Coal-fired electricity has to be transmitted hundreds of kilometres from power stations in southern Queensland, with huge losses in transmission and at huge cost.
“Premier Newman ignores the savings from power plants and lines we no longer have to build,” he said.
“For three years in a row Queensland’s rooftop solar has pushed electricity demand down.
“The Premier and Energy Minister, Mark McArdle have continued their attacks on household solar panels blaming green schemes for the blowout in power prices yet the official report by the Queensland Competition Authority shows that only 3.9 per cent of the supply cost of electricity is due to solar schemes.
He said the State Government currently subsidised mining by about $1000 per household per year but renewables, not fossil fuels is the way of the future. He called on all elected representatives to be more open and truthful about the true costs of electricity.
The Greens are proposing an Energy Savings Agency to help reduce electricity bills and greenhouse gas emissions by assisting users to generate their own power, reduce demand peaks and promote energy efficiency.
**Mr Claridge invited locals to learn more about solar options Tesch Park Maleny, Saturday 29th June from 12 pm to 1 pm, and Caloundra Country and Farmers Market, Currimundi State School, Buderim St, Currimundi, Sunday 30th June from 9 am to 12 pm
For more info on the Energy Savings Agency visit
http://greens.org.au/content/energy-savings-agency