NEW CARBON TAX TO "TURBO CHARGE" RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR
On Sunday, 10 July 11 the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gilliard announced a historic change in policies towards a more sustainable future, here the details in short:
UPDATE 13 Oct 11: The Lower House voted in favour to the carbon price mechanism, now the next step is to pass through the Federal Senate.
- Carbon tax: $23/tonne of CO2increased by 2.5% above inflation each year until 2015.
- Emissions trading scheme introduced in 2015.
- The new tax will be paid by 500 of the nation's biggest polluters.
- The scheme will exclude petrol for household motorists, farmers and small business owners. And all transport fuel will be exempt until 2014 when excise changes affect heavy transport.
- Big polluting industries exposed to export competition, such as aluminium and zinc smelting, pulp and paper making, flat glass making and steel manufacturing, will be given free carbon permits as part of a $9.2 billion program over the scheme's first three years.
- $13 billion investment to boost green energy innovation.
- Plans for a national electricity grid operating with 100 per cent renewables.
- Pledged to cut Australia's greenhouse emissions by 80per cent by 2050.
- Closure of Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power stations (~ 2 GW capacity) by 2020.
- A $10 billionClean Energy Finance Corporation will invest in large-solar power generation, geothermal, wave and distributed energy projects
- A new $1.2 billion Clean Technology Program will provide $150million to the food processing industry to cut greenhouse emissions
- A $32 million Clean Energy Skills program will help trades workers gain green energy industry skills.
- The new Australian Renewable Energy Agency will manage $3.2billion in renewable energy funding programs.
More information available here
This is an exciting change, Solarmatrix will be ready to adapt to the new programs and will assist to lead the way to a sustainable clean energy future.
