Labor landslide victory in Australia seen as ‘vote for renewables’

Labor landslide victory in Australia seen as ‘vote for renewables’

Australia’s Labor Party beat the Coalition Party convincingly in the May general election, in a fiercely fought contest billed as ‘a referendum on energy’.

According to The Guardian, the defeated Coalition Party pledged to unwind nearly all of Labor’s climate policies, abandon key elements of the Paris climate agreement, slow the rollout of renewable energy, and boost fossil fuel energy for the next two decades. They lost heavily in almost every constituency.

By contrast, Labor campaigned on a promise to accelerate its world-leading transition from coal to clean energy.

Australian voters’ enthusiasm for green energy has multiple motivations. Many accept that years of unprecedented heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires are signs of worse to come if no action is taken on carbon emissions.

Consumer buy-in

But Australia’s ABC News says ordinary consumers have also bought into Labor’s pitch that renewables mean lower energy costs. More than 60% of households already have rooftop solar panels in many areas, and more than 30% of new installations include battery storage.

Domestic consumers are being embraced as active partners in Australia’s transition, both producing and storing energy for use locally, and balancing regional grids. The government is offering 30% subsidies on batteries, with a target of a million units installed by 2030.

Labor’s new target of 82% renewables by 2030 is seen by some as over-ambitious, but others regard 65-75% as achievable.

Australia’s strategy includes the creation of Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) – large virtual power stations, embracing solar, wind, hydro and any other clean energy resources available locally. They are being sited close to centres of demand and are designed to replace existing coal-fired plants directly.

There are also incentive packages for investors in green energy and industries which are reducing their carbon footprints.