Victorian Liberals take first step in the renewable energy race

Environment Victoria has welcomed the Victorian Liberal party plans to provide rebates to schools to install solar panels and batteries. The commitment, as reported by Channel Nine news, is a $7 million program, providing schools with grants up to $10,000, running through to 2025.

“This is a welcome announcement by the Victorian Liberal Party. Schools consume most of their electricity while classes are in, so they are well placed to reap the benefits of rooftop solar,” said Environment Victoria Campaigns Manager Dr Nicholas Aberle.

“It is great to see the Liberals acknowledging that renewable energy helps Victorians slash their power bills, while also supporting the electricity grid by feeding excess energy back into the system.

“Of course, renewable energy is also the best way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and start tackling the very real crisis of global warming. This is why renewable energy is a big vote-winner across the state.

“While we’re supportive of the program we think that it’s ambition could be ramped up.

“We would like to see this program rolled out much faster than by 2025. We could easily make all schools solar schools in the next term of government.

“There is a risk that with a $10,000 rebate we would end up installing fairly small solar systems despite most state schools having big roofs and high energy bills.

“It is pleasing to see the Victorian Liberals finally joining the race to build more renewables, after having spent much of this term of Parliament vowing to scrap the Victorian Renewable Energy Target.

“The next step for the Liberal party is to release a plan for repowering the entire state, not just state schools, with clean energy. Households and businesses deserve to benefit from renewable energy as well.

“We would also love to see the Coalition move on from their damaging plan to scrap Victoria’s legislated renewable energy target.

“As the IPCC reminded us at the start of October, there is no time to wait and we need to urgently scale up current efforts when it comes to climate solutions like renewable energy,” said Dr Aberle.