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Agence France-Presse

Australian households will be able to access three hours a day of free solar power under an energy-saving programme that the government unveiled on Tuesday and will begin next year.
“We want to see the benefits of renewable energy flow to all,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen told national broadcaster ABC.
In a statement, he said that the Solar Sharer scheme will be rolled out from next year in some jurisdictions, including New South Wales and South Australia, before a possible expansion.
“It’s not a silver bullet, and it is part of a suite of measures, but it’s a good one,” Bowen told ABC.
Australia has poured billions into solar power, wind turbines and green manufacturing and pledged to make the nation a renewable energy superpower.
And Australians have been quick adopters of solar power, with about 4.2 million homes – roughly one in three – already having panels installed on their roofs, according to official data.
The government’s new offer will be available to all Australians, “even those without solar panels or batteries”, Bowen said, as long as they have a smart meter and opt in to the new plan.

Australian Energy Council Chief Executive Louisa Kinnear said that while she welcomed initiatives aimed at improving customer experience, she was “disappointed” the government had not consulted the industry ahead of the announcement.
“This change introduces a complex regulatory solution that delivers a customer outcome that is already being offered by many retailers,” she said in a statement.
Australia’s energy future has become a contentious political subject as it looks to phase out ageing coal-fired power stations while ensuring there is enough electricity to keep the lights on.
Australia pledged in September to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 per cent from 2005 levels over the next decade – a target activists warn is not ambitious enough.
But its green ambitions are at odds with its deep entanglement with lucrative fossil fuel industries, and it remains one of the world’s biggest coal exporters.


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Australia

Australia offers free solar power to households in green energy push

Solar panels are seen on the roof of a residential property in Sydney, Australia. On Tuesday the country unveiled a new scheme allowing households to access solar power at no cost. Photo: Reuters

About one in three Australian households have installed solar panels. Photo: Shutterstock

Why Southeast Asia’s green energy boom hinges on smart grid investment

Electricity transmission pylons. The Ember report says up to US$11 billion is needed to modernise Southeast Asia’s power grids. Photo: Reuters

A worker adjusts a cable at a floating solar power farm off the northern coast of Singapore. Photo: AFP

Power lines in Hanoi, Vietnam. Efficient energy infrastructure reduces waste and pollution, helping to mitigate climate risks. Photo: AP 

Women sit on a hill overlooking a coal-fired power plant in Cilegon, Indonesia. Photo: AP

Atomic ambitions: Singapore eyes the nuclear option for a net-zero future

Cooling towers of a nuclear power plant. Photo: Getty Images

An aerial view of Singapore’s largest power station in Senoko, Sembawang. It primarily runs on natural gas. Photo: AFP

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said Singapore will invest an additional US$3.85 billion in clean energy this year. Photo: dpa

Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov is the world’s first floating nuclear power plant. Photo: Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation

Cooling towers of a nuclear power plant. Export of commercial nuclear reactors is limited to certain countries. Photo: Getty Images

 Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has urged against a binary thinking that Singapore has to choose between the US and China for new technology. Photo: EPA

Asia to play key role in decarbonisation amid shift to renewables: report

A worker stands beside floating solar panels for a hydro-solar farm in Thailand. Photo: AFP

The Baglihar Dam, also known as the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, on the Chenab river which flows from Indian Kashmir into Pakistan, in May. Photo: Reuters

Addiction to fossil fuels is taking a toll on health systems and livelihoods, and is also putting an unbearable strain on government budgets, a Lancet report has warned Photo: AP

How ‘smart cities’ can protect communities from climate risks

A man holds his dog while walking through a flooded street during the passage of Super Typhoon Ragasa in Macau on September 24. Photo: AFP

Workers monitor drainage and reservoir cameras for problems during a heavy rain from a command room at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, in Singapore on July 20, 2023. Photo: AP

News

Asia

Australasia

Australia plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, but this goal clashes with its reliance on coal and fossil fuel exports


Australia plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, but this goal clashes with its reliance on coal and fossil fuel exports.


Australia offers free solar power to households in green energy push

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Australia plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, but this goal clashes with its reliance on coal and fossil fuel exports

Australia plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, but this goal clashes with its reliance on coal and fossil fuel exports