In response to to blackouts in South Australia, the federal government announced an independent review of the National Electricity Market (NEM), led by chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel.
Environment Victoria has welcomed the review, and sees it as an opportunity to fundamentally re-frame the way we think about energy in Australia. The reality is that a transition to zero net emissions and 100 percent renewable energy is both imperative and inevitable. Australia is already experiencing the impacts of climate change. Recent heatwaves and storms demonstrate the increased pressure that global warming will place on our electricity system.
Renewable energy is a fundamental part of the solution. The challenge is how to make the transition to 100 percent renewable energy as quickly as possible while safeguarding affordability, security and reliability. As we explain in our submission to the Review’s Preliminary Report, a big part of the answer to this ‘energy trilemma’ is to pay much greater attention to efficiency and demand management, and the contribution they can make to cutting costs, reducing pressure on supply during peak periods and avoiding or delaying the need for new infrastructure.
View our full submission below, or download it here >>