Renewable Energy Tariffs in Australia

Federal Government

• Aussie Petition Drive: Let's get Australia moving on solar feed in tariffs!--Sign the petition and help Rudd choose a solar future! . . . says web site created by Energy Matters.
• The Australian: Green power feasible--Australian Academy of Science . . . calls for a national system of feed-in tariffs, the price paid for green energy by householders and businesses into the grid. . .

The new Labor government campaigned on a "consistent national approach to feed-in tariffs". The Australian Coucil of Governments is preparing a report on Climate Change that will include a discussion of feed-in tariffs. However, no action is pending.

New South Wales

• Suntech's Dr. Shi Applauds Australian Feed-in Tariff--Chinese solar PV powerhouse, Suntech, applauds the Australian state of New South Wales for its adoption of a feed-in tariff. . .
• New South Wales To Have Australia's Largest FIT--The Premier of Australia's largest state, New South Wales, recently announced a gross feed-in tariff (FIT) of AU $0.60/kWh for seven years. . .

South Australia

The limited and timid program import-export metering of South Australia's state government has gone into effect. The program pays $0.44 AUD/kWh for any excess generation to small electricity customers for a period of 20 years.

Tasmania

On October 31, 2008, Tasmanian Minister of Energy & Resources began circulating a discussion paper on whether the use of feed-in tariffs was a "useful pricing mechanism for encouraging the generation of renewable electricity at a household level". This is the first formal recognition of feed-in tariffs in Tasmania. Several other Australian states are debating various feed-in tariff proposals as is the federal government.

• Discussion Paper on Electricity Feed-in Tariffs

Queensland

Queensland copied South Australia's program

Victoria

The Victoria state government has proposed a policy to go into effect in 2009 that pays $0.60 AUD/kWh for excess generation for 15 years for PV system less than 2 kW in size only. The Victoria program is even more restrictive than the other states.

Australian Capital Territory

The parliament of the Capital Territory (Canberra) has passed the only true system of feed-in tariffs in Australia. As opposed to other programs paying for "excess" generation, the ACT's policy pays for "gross" generation, that is, all generation delivered for export. Further the ACT proposal is for all small-scale renewables, not just solar PV.

The ACT tariff is 3.88 times the standard retail tariff or about $0.57 AUD/kWh for systems less than 10 kW in size. The tariff for systems 10 kW to 30 kW is 80% of the retail rate, and for systems greater than 30 kW the tariff is 75% of the retail rate. This tariff system resembles the early German system from 1991 to 2000 and the Spanish system up to 2007.

• Energy Matters: Renewable Energy Feed In Tariffs Vs. Emissions Trading--According to a study by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management (DeAM) division, emissions trading hasn't stimulated renewable energy investment and energy efficiency and governments should instead focus on introducing feed-in tariffs. . .
• Overwhelming Support for Feed-in Tariffs in Australia
• Australian Senator Introduces Feed-in Tariff Bill
• Solar industry supports Queensland plan for gross feed-in tariffs (June 5, 2008)
• A proper solar feed-in tariff in Victoria - 10 Reasons Why by Markus Lambert
• BP Solar Backs Feed-in Tariffs for Australia
• The Alternative Technology Association's Feed-in Tariff's home page
  • The case for a feed-in tariff for solar micro-generation
  • The design of a feed-in tariff
• Solar owners 'could be paid for power'
• South Australia Weighs Timid Solar Tariff (Updated and corrected, August 18, 2008)

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