Greens Leader Adam Bandt will today join solar installers, the Smart Energy Council and Queensland candidate for Ryan Elizabeth Watson-Brown to announce the Greens’ plan for Cheaper and Cleaner Power for Homes and Businesses.
The plan includes grants for householders and business owners of up to $25K and loans of up to $100k to get homes and businesses off gas by electrifying. Also included is support for households and businesses to buy batteries, with grants available up to $10k and loans up to $50k. Subsidies of this scale are also expected to support investment in the domestic battery manufacturing industry, creating thousands of jobs in battery manufacturing, installation and maintenance.
Also included in this plan is the creation of a 100% publicly-owned non-profit electricity retailer. The repurposed retail division of Snowy Hydro, Power Australia, will offer all Australian businesses at-cost electricity, without the profit seeking and wasted resources in marketing costs of the big retailers. The cheaper non-profit Power Australia is expected to amplify competition in the sector and drive down the costs associated with private power providers.
Gas in the home is responsible for 12% of asthma in children. Gas is also one of the leading causes of the climate crisis, is expensive for consumers, and the industry costs the nation billions in tax subsidies. Gas is also a significant and rising cost for many businesses, with many processes involving gas able to be substituted for electricity (eg cooking, heating), but often requiring up-front capital costs. The Greens’ electrification plan will enable every Australian to have the cheapest, safest and most reliable power in history.
The Cheaper and Cleaner Power for Homes and Businesses Plan has been costed by the PBO and is expected to deliver an investment of $17.1 billion into electrifying Australian homes, $14.8 billion into electrifying small businesses and $12.6 billion into installing small scale batteries in homes and businesses over this critical decade.
The inner-city Brisbane seat of Ryan is a priority seat for the Greens. The Greens hold the state seat of Maiwar that sits within it, with a massive swing of 13.5% at the last state election. In what is being forecast as a likely ‘minority Parliament’ election, the seat of Ryan could be pivotal to the outcome of the federal election.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“The Greens’ plan will help people get batteries for their homes and switch from gas to renewables, cutting power bills and cutting pollution.
“The Sunshine State is a renewable energy paradise, but not everyone can afford batteries to get the most out of their solar panels. The Greens will make sure Queenslanders are getting bang for their buck and we expect this plan will see power bills drop to record lows.
“Government support has helped bring down the cost of solar panels, and the Greens want to do the same with batteries.
“This is a practical way to tackle the climate crisis and ease cost of living pressures.
“Electricity is an essential service and it shouldn’t be run for profit.
“Australia has so much sun and wind that we can produce clean energy cheaply, and by supporting households and businesses to install batteries and get off gas, it’s a win for climate and cost of living.
“Liberal and Labor have no plan to help businesses get off gas and on to cheap clean electricity, leaving many with rising energy costs. The Greens want to support businesses to cut their energy bills, including by helping with the up-front costs of moving away from using gas and on to electricity wherever it is possible.
“By making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax, we can ease cost of living pressures.”
Greens candidate for the seat of Ryan, Elizabeth Watson-Brown said:
“Ryan residents and small businesses are already leading the way with rooftop solar, and the Greens will support the installation of batteries to make sure we’re all getting the most bang for our buck.
“Our grants for home and small business batteries will mean less pollution, cheaper bills and more reliable renewable energy for local homes and businesses.”