Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday in this place the government voted to allow the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to invest in non-renewable technologies, to invest in what this government calls low-emissions technologies. Labor created ARENA in 2011 to improve the competitiveness of renewable technologies and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia. As Labor's shadow minister for climate change said yesterday, the 'R' in 'ARENA' stands for renewables.

While the government continues their climate-denialism, undermining the future of renewables in Australia, Labor has a vision for a renewable energy future. Our power to the people policy is a $200 million investment in community batteries for household solar. Over four years, a future Labor government will connect up to 100,000 homes to 400 community batteries around Australia, reducing power bills and emissions by making households less reliant on the electricity grid. In Australia more than one in five households have solar, the highest uptake in the world, but only one in 60 have on-site battery storage, because the upfront costs are still too high. Our plan will allow households that can't install solar, such as people who are renting or own apartments, to draw from excess electricity stored in community batteries. That is great news for people in my electorate of Wills—action on climate change and lower energy bills. Only Labor has a vision for our local communities. Only Labor will deliver real action on climate change. Only Labor will make Australia a renewable energy superpower.