Consultant Dan
05 July 2011
Getting the Greens together with solar and wind industries
I have just completed 2 online surveys about policy development in the Australian Greens. My suggestion was that the party needs to do a lot of work to bring its membership up to speed on renewable energy and build bridges with the sector.
Solar technology in particular is moving very quickly and even experts can get out of date, as we know from the Productivity Commission’s mistaken predictions on solar.
There have been both wind and general renewables policy blunders in the Greens in Victoria.
Now that the Greens have balance of power in the Senate, they are under more pressure and cannot risk silly public disagreements on fundamental questions regarding the transition to a post-carbon energy economy.
Most of the good thinking on climate and energy policy is done by Senator Christine Milne and her staff.
Here are 2 ideas for bringing the party membership, supporters and leadership closer to the renewable energy sector.
Renewable energy Summit
The Greens should invite renewable energy companies, researchers, associations and independent experts to a Summit with Senators, advisors and party representatives.
A Summit would have three outcomes: 1. A solid policy road-map for the rapid, sustainable growth of the renewables industries 2. A political strategy for how to get there 3. Informal relationships between the renewables sector and the Greens
Community energy company
Adam Bandt won the seat of Melbourne on a platform that included community energy. The Greens should create an independent, community energy company and build a small wind-farm or solar park in Melbourne.
Engaging in the actual business of trying to make money from clean energy, would be a uniquely valuable action-learning experience.
I can vouch from the experience of Hepburn Wind that a community energy company is a crucible in which you discover all the faults in our national energy market: regulatory, pricing, standards, finance and grid dumbness.
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