Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We've been able to release 20 per cent of that, as I said, and we could release it because it's in Australia. Until 2023, that was not the case. If we'd had to release it from Texas on 28 February, it still wouldn't be here today, because it takes about 30 days to get from Texas to Australia. Under previous administrations, the only release we could have had was the then energy minister saying, 'Houston, we have a problem.' That was the only energy security plan we had, not just when it just came to liquid fuel but also electricity. The honourable member for Banks would be pleased with the release of the draft default market offer, which shows his constituents get a 4.6 per cent reduction in energy prices and small businesses 10.1 per cent under the draft default market offer, which has been released publicly—not hidden from the Australian people but released for all to see.

Also, I am pleased that we are better prepared for this crisis because we are saving more renewable energy for the night through the day and that reduces our reliance on gas. In the last summer of the previous government, we used 2.7 terawatt hours worth of gas. In this summer just gone, we used 1.5 terawatt hours, a very big reduction in gas use, which means we are less exposed to gas prices and that is in no small part due to home batteries. I am pleased to tell the House that since 1 July we have installed 286,831 home batteries and 1,987 of those have been in the electorate of Banks. Also, for those Australians who have not been able to access those, the member for Banks and I the other week launched the Padstow community battery, which will enable access to renewable energy to 10,000 houses in his electorate—10,000 houses for the Padstow community battery. Now, all this not only leads to reduced energy prices and lower emissions but also increased sovereign capability when it comes to energy. Because the sun does not need to go through the Straits of Hormuz and Vladimir Putin cannot interrupt the wind in Australia, it makes our energy system more resilient, more reliable, more sovereign. We on this side of the House think that's a good thing.

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