Federal energy and emissions reduction minister Angus Taylor has renewed his attempt to redirect funds earmarked for renewable energy projects to the Morrison government’s favoured ‘low emissions’ technologies, including funding carbon capture and storage.
Taylor on Thursday quietly issued a new set of regulations for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, designed to use its funds to support technologies such as CCS, soil carbon, hydrogen production and alternative fuels identified by the government’s Technology Investment Roadmap.
Taylor’s first attempt at introducing new ARENA regulations was scuttled by the senate, when Labor and the Greens succeeded in passion motions to “disallow” the regulations One Nation leader Pauline Hanson abstained.
The updated regulations, however, will place additional restrictions on which technologies may be funded, limiting its focus to five technologies identified under the Morrison government’s Low Emissions Technology Statement (LETS), with new caps and time limits on funding.
“These Regulations are different in substance to the disallowed Regulations,” the explanatory statement issued with the regulations says.
“Specifically, they have made material changes to the nature and scope of the new functions and programs intended to be supported by ARENA, as well as changing aspects of the context in which they will be deployed and reported on.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/taylor-tries-again-to-redirect-renewables-funds-into-hand-picked-technologies/
This is just so damned suspicious. Is Taylor that desperate to prop up coal and gas that he will defy the legislation under which ARENA was established?
Abbott tried to abolish ARENA in 2014. One of the very first things he did as PM was to attempt to remove Gillard's legacy and reverse the sensible and important moves toward reducing carbon emissions.
Now Taylor has made several attempts to re-orient money legislated to be used only for renewable energy projects on the large, industrial scale. Taylor wants ARENA to fund Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) a technology that has proven, in the 12 trials conducted around the world, to be very difficult and very costly. so much so that the most successful CCS plant in the world in WA is being shut down as a loss.
No doubt Taylor also wants expanded coal mines and to build a coal-fired generation plant. By the time such a generator is built it will no longer be required...... unless renewable energy projects are stalled or cancelled.
So I raise the question; Is this a business deal for Mr Taylor?
We Need a Federal ICAC. Now.
