We constantly hear that “renewables” are the cheapest and the best way to go. If that’s the case, why does the Australian Renewable Energy Agency need to commit $2.15 billion in subsidies, grants and loans to prop up “renewable” projects?
Transcript
Senator Roberts: Thank you for appearing today. The latest figures I have about funds committed, as at June 2022, is $1.86 billion committed across Australia. That is from the 2021-22 annual report. Do you have the most recent figure on what you have committed?
Mr Miller: The most recent figure is $2.15 billion.
Senator Roberts: It’s constantly jammed down Australian throats that wind and solar are the cheapest forms of energy. Why do you have to commit billions in subsidies to wind and solar if this is the case? If they are so much cheaper, shouldn’t they be able to survive without your subsidies and just simply beat coal and gas in the market?
Mr Miller: ARENA hasn’t given much, if any, support to wind projects, in our history. When ARENA was formed 11 years ago, wind was relatively mature and didn’t need much support. Solar was an industry where Australia had a research advantage and a burgeoning research community, and ARENA stepped into that space and continued providing research funding to solar.
I think it’s entirely appropriate that we aim for lower cost, higher efficiency and more sustainable solar materials. That is what the work that we do supports. In terms of our support for solar, our key program in that respect was in 2016-17 where the intervention that ARENA and the CEFC provided the industry, with $92 million funding to two large-scale solar projects, drove the cost of that technology down from $2.50 a watt to $1.25 a watt following that program to the point where large-scale solar is economic in Australia—and the International Energy Agency says is the cheapest form of electricity generation in history.
ARENA’s continued support for solar R&D is to create a sustainable, comparative and competitive advantage for Australia in this important technology, to unlock the potential for solar to be that form of ultra low-cost generation to support a giant iron and renewable steel manufacturing capability in Australia and to provide low – cost energy into our industrial system and to our domestic users. We take that responsibility seriously, and we are very excited by the opportunity to continue to support solar PV research, manufacturing and production in Australia to that effect.
Senator Roberts: Could you take on notice to explain in depth the cost structures around solar that you are contributing to at the moment, please? In simple terms, the generating of solar is cheap but, by the time we add the doubling or the tripling of the area needed because of the variability in nature and then you add the battery storage, it’s very, very expensive.
Mr Miller: Senator, I’m not clear what you want me to do.
Senator Roberts: I would like the levelised cost of solar produced electricity equivalent to coal in terms of quantities and reliability?
Mr Miller: I would point you to the good work that the CSIRO has done in collaboration with AEMO in their GenCost analysis, which is thorough analysis by the team at the CSIRO, which shows you the levelised cost of solar on its own and wind on its tone and then adds storage to that, which is a proxy for firming. I would suggest that we would not be able to provide you with any more information than that high-quality work that has been done by the CSIRO.
Senator Roberts: That’s fine; thank you, Mr Miller—because the CSIRO’s assumptions are just woeful. If that’s the best and you term it excellent, we’re in trouble. That’s my view. So thank you for saying that.
This Renewables energy is a total con.
I recently drive past windfarms at Port Augusta in SA. They were all switched off, not working. It’s all deliberate manipulation to force power prices up, in order to push Australians into poverty.all part of the UN/WeF plan to ruin Australia.
ARENA mighty have brought the cost per watt down a bit but can ARENA guarantee that the price will remain that low? I also notice that ARENA dodged the question about the costs of (a) the size of installations necessary, (b) the storage and (c) the transmission lines . Those costs should be taken over 80 years, which is the estimated lifetime of a nuclear plant, even if things related to solar have to be replaced several times.
The inherent problem with solar and wind are that their outputs are unpredictable and largely uncontrollable. The means storage is necessary to improve, but not necessarily fix, reliability of supply. But how much storage will you need? How much is cost-effective. Some might only be required on one or two days each year, but with out it there’ll be a problem.
Few people realise how the Renewable Energy Target works. It is nothing less than government organised theft from electricity consumers to owners of wind and solar assets. The payment that grid scale wind and solar rob from consumers for the energy produced, now $55/MWh, is MORE than the wholesale cost of electricity a decade ago.
It is time to stop this theft from electricity consumers. Wind and solar have had two decades now to show what they can do. And the result is clear for all to see in their electricity bills. A simple step to end the federal government organised theft would be a positive step in bringing down electricity prices..
“It is time to stop this theft from electricity consumers. Wind and solar have had two decades now to show what they can do. And the result is clear for all to see in their electricity bills. A simple step to end the federal government organised theft would be a positive step in bringing down electricity prices..”
Amen.
Isn’t it time to stop the rot.
Treating everyday Australians with contempt should be a stackable offence.
How high are the salaries of those who work in the renewable arena?
How high are the salaries of those who work in the energy sector?
The poor outcomes delivered to the rest of us , do show… you appear to not give a dam about the negative externalities of your actions and inactions .
TGIF
Thanks for your efforts and the top gun crews at One Nation.
Lord knows where we would be without you.
ONYAS
Are you sure that ‘Mr Miller’ is not really ‘Sir Humphrey Appleby’? His obfuscations would certainly indicate that this is likely!
Hi Col,
Yes Col, not at all dissimilar to most, if not all of the flashy presentations I have seen in defence of your Global Warming belief, based on total junk science and nonsensical fear propaganda.
Hi Michael.
An open and honest discussion does not appear to be possible on this site because of continued censorship.
Cheers,
Col
I was first reply. Not there.
Sorry re above had wrong article.