RET scheme closer to reality

The Renewable Energy Target scheme has been decoupled from the defeated Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and the bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Monday night.

The bill plans for 20% of Australia's energy needs to come from renewable sources, such as solar and wind farms, by 2020.

The government has now agreed to treat the gas created from coal mining as a renewable energy source. Another round of negotiations is necessary and further changes may be made before it gets through to the Senate for voting, possibly on Thursday.

In order to ensure its survival, the renewable energy sector is hoping the bill will receive strong support from all political parties.

“Our industry has been left in the dark for the last few months. The uncertainty caused by our politicians' insistence to politicise this process has been more than detrimental to many businesses in the renewable energy sector,” said Rodger Meads, Managing Director of Conergy.