Woodside, page-4106

You are right. . In the 2007 federal election both ALP and LNP went to the polls with same energy policy. If Mr Howard had won energy prices would be a lot lower because the move to Renewables would be virtually consumated .
But he did not and under Mr Abbott a very different course was followed.

Hence...........

The rising cost of energy, even with renewables, can be attributed to several factors:

1. Infrastructure Costs: Building renewable energy facilities, such as wind farms and solar panels, requires significant investment. Additionally, expanding the grid to connect these facilities to populated areas adds to the expense.

2. Transition Challenges: As coal-fired power stations age and experience outages, gas-powered generation often fills the gap, which can be costly. Gas prices have historically influenced electricity prices.

3. Government Subsidies: Some renewable projects rely on government subsidies to be financially viable. These subsidies can indirectly increase costs for taxpayers.

4. Market Dynamics: While renewables can lower wholesale prices due to their zero fuel cost, other factors like network costs and global energy market disruptions can offset these savings