Millions of Australian households fitted with rooftop PV could be charged for exporting electricity to the grid under new proposals that critics have warned could curb the uptake of solar systems and slow the country’s energy transition.
Solar campaigners hail electoral promise by New South Wales Labor for fresh 7GW in renewable capacity but distribution lobby urges to consider grid implications
Both major parties in the election race for the Australian state of New South Wales have put forward plans focusing on solar and storage for households, with some mixed but mostly positive reaction from the industry.
Rooftop solar PV systems are estimated to have saved energy consumers in the Australian state of New South Wales between AU$2.2 billion and AU$3.3 billion (US$1.7 billion to 2.6 billion) in a 12-month period, according to a report commissioned by campaign group Solar Citizens.
Victoria’s Labor government will hold a 650MW renewables auction and has awarded contracts for 138MW of large-scale solar plants to power Melbourne’s tram network.
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), responsible for regulating the energy market, has dropped a proposal to let power network companies charge rooftop solar owners for feeding their electricity to the grid in a form of ‘solar tax’, after facing resistance from communities.
In a major energy strategy upheaval, the South Australian government is providing significant funding to support energy storage projects, starting with a 100MW grid-connected battery that will be the largest in the country.
