Tell your State Govt — reject Turnbull's dirty energy plan!
It looks like the ACT Government is getting ready to block Turnbull's anti-renewable energy plan — and they need our help.
Right now, other states are deciding whether to join them. But newspapers are reporting the ACT will only use their veto power if another state also takes the same position.
We have just three weeks to convince at least one more State Government to oppose the National Energy Guarantee ("NEG"), before Ministers meet to make their final decision on 10 August.
For State Governments to defy Turnbull, they need to know they have the support of their constituents. So we need to show them just how much public support there is for a cleaner and cheaper sun-powered future.
Right now, other states are deciding whether to join them. But newspapers are reporting the ACT will only use their veto power if another state also takes the same position.
We have just three weeks to convince at least one more State Government to oppose the National Energy Guarantee ("NEG"), before Ministers meet to make their final decision on 10 August.
For State Governments to defy Turnbull, they need to know they have the support of their constituents. So we need to show them just how much public support there is for a cleaner and cheaper sun-powered future.
The NEG's targets are too weak to cut climate pollution or build renewables. To hit targets as low as Turnbull's, members of the coal lobby would need to police suburban streets to stop people putting up solar panels!
Australia urgently needs a national plan to cut climate pollution in the electricity sector. But the NEG is going to do much more harm than good in its current form and here's why:
Australia urgently needs a national plan to cut climate pollution in the electricity sector. But the NEG is going to do much more harm than good in its current form and here's why:
- The NEG's targets are also too weak to cut power prices. New research released yesterday confirmed that more renewable-friendly targets would lead to more competition, less profits for coal corporations, and lower power bills.1
- Turnbull is trying to lock in these anti-renewable targets for an entire decade. This would make it impossible for the policy to deliver real cuts to carbon pollution until 2031!2
- The NEG is designed to let big power companies pick our pockets in private. Because there will be no public scrutiny of the contracts energy companies sign under the NEG, we won't even know how much price gouging is going on under the scheme!3
- There's nothing to stop the Coalition government from making a bad policy, even worse. Unlike other climate policies, such as the Victorian government's, there's no protection against cutting the NEG's weak targets even further. And because Turnbull is demanding that the states sign up to the NEG without even seeing the federal half of the scheme, there's nothing to stop him from sneaking extra support for coal into the package after the states have signed up to it.4
References:
[1] Turnbull's NEG to raise electricity prices and stunt the growth of renewables: report, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, 20 July 2018
[2] Coal deal to appease Coalition MPs could kill energy guarantee, ACT warns, The Guardian, 9 July 2018
[3] ESB leaves some unexpected booby traps in latest NEG update, Renew Economy, 18 June 2018
[4] Weak NEG puts pressure on farmers, truckers, factories to cut emissions, Renew Economy, 15 June 2018
The NEG only applies to members of the National Electricity Market (NEM), and NT and WA are not members of the NEM. That means that NT and WA State Energy Ministers won't get to have the final say on the NEG on 10 August.
ASK YOUR STATE ENERGY MINISTER TO REJECT THE NEG
Can you take a few minutes to message your State Energy Minister?Let them know you want an energy plan that creates more renewables, not less!
Not sure what to say? There's lots of reasons for Ministers to reject Turnbull's dirty energy plan on the left of this page.
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