Andrew spoke in the Parliament on the need for investments in household measures that both decrease energy costs to ease cost-of-living pressures and support Australia’s energy transition and energy security. You can watch the speech or read it below.
“I applaud the Member for Kooyong for bringing this matter of public importance before the House. It’s a powerful reminder, at a critical point in time, that if we get it right the energy transition can support climate action, ease cost of living pressures for Australians, and enhance Australia’s energy independence.
Because the reality is that the cheapest energy available to many households today is the energy they don’t have to buy, or the renewable energy they generate themselves.
And that is why investments in household measures such as rooftop solar, home batteries, insulation, energy efficient appliances, and electrification, should all be priorities for governments at all levels in this country.
These measures reduce energy demand, cut household bills and ease pressure on the broader energy system. They also accelerate Australia’s transition to cleaner energy, which is essential of course if we are to meet our climate obligations, and protect our environment for future generations.
Of course there’s another very important dimension to this conversation that’s often overlooked, and that’s energy security. And if that wasn’t staring us in the face previously, it sure is now with global oil supplies in doubt and oil shares whiplashing like there’s no tomorrow, while some bowsers run dry and fuel prices spike.
Unsurprisingly this is the hottest political topic right now, turbocharged by the Opposition which is shamelessly and cynically trying to tap into it for political gain. But that’s not to say that the Government has clean hands either, because like its predecessors it has virtually ignored International Energy Agency fuel holding guidelines, and even is now failing to urgently introduce the sort of pricing restrictions adopted by at least Germany.
Like most of my colleagues I’ve been hearing regularly from constituents about increased prices at the bowser. Now I take the point of the Energy Minister that Australia currently has sufficient fuel supply and that supplies continue to reach Australia, but that just makes it even more appalling that retailers are jacking up prices in this way. Frankly it’s just shameless price-gouging done under the cover of the illegal war in Iran, and it should come with serious consequences. But so far it hasn’t.
All of this goes to show of course, that in a world where energy markets are increasingly volatile and geopolitical tensions have the potential for prolonged disruption of global supply chains, Australia must think carefully about its energy independence and its sovereign capability. And think too about the impact energy insecurity has on the lives of ordinary Australians.
Of course when households generate and store their own energy, they are not just saving money, they are contributing to a more decentralised, distributed and resilient national energy system. And that makes Australians less vulnerable to international shocks and supply lines, less reliant on our ageing fossil-fuel based energy infrastructure, and harder targets for price gouging and cartel-like shakedowns from energy suppliers.
But of course, as with anything, how we do this matters. And while Australia is a world leader for things like rooftop solar, too many people in regional Australia, as well as low and middle-income earners, renters and other marginalised communities are missing out. So the Government must ensure that investment in household measures are available to everyone, not just those who can afford the upfront costs.
To that end the Government should enhance and extend its targeted grants, low-interest loans, community energy programs, and minimum efficiency standards, to help ensure that the transition is fair and equitable, as well as effective.
Of course the Opposition probably won’t have a bar of this because they’re still hooked on fossil fuels or, depending on the time of day, nuclear power, and are seemingly baffled by renewable energy. But I’d suggest they try to take the blinkers off and re-examine the issue in light of the national interest, and the interests of their constituents.
Moreover adding extra capacity and stability to our grid, through investment in household measures, will be beneficial in freeing up energy capacity and investment for Australian industry. In other words, if you’re fair dinkum about being hyper-Australia and starting to make things again in this country, then you’d actually support and fast-track home energy measures.
In closing I want to thank the Member for Kooyong for bringing this topic before the House, because it’s increasingly clear that investment in the energy transition for households is good economic policy, good environmental policy, and good national security policy.”