NEGA-WATTS NOT MEGA-WATTS

Thursday, 05 February 2009 23:07

“It’s a one-off hand-out that will do nothing to change the energy industry’s core motivation: to sell more electricity,” said TEC’s senior campaigner, Jane Castle.

“Kevin Rudd needs to go the root of the problem, not just tinker on the edges.  He needs to crack the clique of bureaucrats, energy industry players and regulators that currently sets Australia’s energy industry policy, pull Federal Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, and his state counterparts into line, and reform the mess at the very centre of Australia’s climate change crisis.”

With more scorching temperatures predicted for the coming weekend, black-outs similar to those which have incapacitated Victoria and South Australia could cripple other states.

“The vast, untapped potential of energy efficiency is the only real cure for black-outs, rising energy bills, and ballooning greenhouse emissions,” said Castle.

“The recent call by the Energy Networks Association for an extra $50 billion is blatant gold-plating’. More ‘poles and wires’ in the ground equals more revenue earned for these companies. This money comes out of the pockets of the same electricity consumers who are suffering black-outs in the current heat waves.”  

Energy efficient strategies include advanced control systems for lighting and air-conditioning, efficient motors and refrigeration, smart meters, reduced stand-by power settings, fuel switching (such as solar water heating) and many other smart technologies.  

“Australia’s electricity consumption has rocketed up by 70% since 1980,” Castle pointed out. “Over the same period, California has kept electricity consumption virtually static with a simple carrot and stick equation: when targets for energy efficiency are met, the companies are rewarded, when they don’t, they are penalised.”

The McKinsey Report has confirmed that Australia could reduce its greenhouse emissions in 2020 by 20% at zero net cost to the economy simply by implementing energy efficiency.