CEC urges Australian gov't to push for more renewables in federal budget

Recommendations include a cost-of-living package, support for RE projects and offshore wind.

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has called on the Australian Government to strengthen the current policy credentials for the deployment and advancement of clean energy transformation.

The group claimed that the year’s federal budget will determine the direction of Australia’s clean energy transition, adding that renewable energy is “the cornerstone of its economic agenda and delivering major cost-of-living savings to Australian households and small businesses”.

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In the 2024-25 Pre-Budget Submission, the council has advised the Government to commit to a nation-building Clean Energy Transformation Investment Package that covers the following steps:

1. Continued support for large-scale and small-scale renewable energy and storage
2. Strong start to the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme
3. Delivery of a cost-of-living package
4. Expansion of the Hydrogen Headstart scheme
5. A national offshore wind target
6. Additional capacity within all involved units of the Government
7. Development of a National Clean Energy Supply Chain strategy
8. Alignment of higher education funding models
9. Implementation of conditions under the Power Playbook

“In a globalised economy racing towards decarbonisation and a future powered by renewables, Australia is competing for capital, equipment and skilled workers, necessitating ambitious, long-term policy and planning to minimise delays, increased costs and missed opportunities,” Anna Freeman, policy director of decarbonisation at CEC, said.