Key Points
RE-Alliance:
- Welcomes the House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy’s Inquiry into the Australian Local Power Agency Bill 2021 (the Bill) and Australian Local Power Agency (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021.
- Notes that the introduction of the Bill was preceded by the release, in May 2020, of a Discussion Paper Unlocking community energy in Australia authored by the Independent Federal Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines MP. This was followed by the release of the Local Power Plan in September 2020.
- Thanks Dr Helen Haines for instigating a co-design process with experts and regional communities to “unlock the potential of community energy”
- Supports the Australian Local Power Agency Bill 2021 (the Bill) and Australian Local Power Agency (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021.
- Supports the concept of the Community Renewable Investment Scheme however RE-Alliance does not recommend a specific percentage of project ownership or a specific km radius to designate eligible communities. We recommend greater flexibility, particularly as in regions that host Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), there will be a large number of projects in a concentrated area, likely with diminishing capacity for local co-investment and co-ownership within the currently dictated parameters.