Green Subsidy $2bn Rort

Is green subsidy a $2bn rort

22nd May, 2024

Opinion, The weekly Times.

Why are Australians paying $1.6bn on their electricity bills each year to subsidise multinational companies solar and wind farms?

We’re even paying two other renewable energy charges to cover $3000 rebates on households installing very expensive heat pumps, and $150 rebates on the latest induction cooktop.

What’s worse is most Australians don’t know they’re paying these subsidies, which add about 16 per cent to the cost of their electricity.

As carrot grower Angelo Lamattina says, “If it doesn’t pay for itself, it’s wrong”.

While subsidy may be a dirty word in agriculture, our federal and state governments think nothing of throwing billions of our dollars at renewables.

We’re even subsidising the cost of carving up the countryside with transmission lines to feed solar and wind energy into Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.

Of course, the renewables sector will argue the cost of power is going down, as they swamp the daytime market.

But they fail to mention the rising cost of the subsidies we pay, or the ever-increasing transmission tariffs part of the supply charge on our bills.

Lets not forget that when the proverbial hits the fan, it’s unsubsidised coal and gas generators that keep us going.

When the network collapsed on February 13 after thunder storms bowled over six transmission lines at Anakie, it was gas-fired generators that got the state going again. And when the sun goes down and wind stops blowing it’s still coal that keeps the lights on.

It’s something Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio needs to consider, as she tries to choke the gas industry and cranks up the renewable charges on our bills.

---

Weekly Times subscribers can read more at;

https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/subscribe/news/1/sourceCode=WTWEB_WRE170_a&desthttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.weeklytimesnow.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fhidden-costrenewables adding-more-than-3-billion-to-2024-power-bills%2Fnews story%2Ff9671d53e72cfe198b01102ac6c260cb&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium

What renewable subsidies are costing you

Most Australians don’t get to see the hefty federal and state charges they pay to subsidise solar and wind farms or energy efficiency schemes.