A further election commitment by Labor today brings wave energy in with the sunshine, ensuring an improved return on investment for much needed renewable energy, says the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA), the business chamber for sustainable energy industries in WA.

"The commitment by the Premier to deliver extra financial incentives for new renewable base load projects such as wave and geothermal will encourage private investment in renewable energy in Western Australia," says Dr Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

"Promoting distributed generation through the south-west will deliver renewable energy from wave and geothermal sources, and provide dispatchable base load and improve energy security across the South West electricity grid."

"Delivering an incentive for renewable energy projects in Western Australia will encourage projects arising from the national Mandated Renewable Energy Target (MRET) to establish in WA, ensuring Western Australia's industry base is also diversified," says Dr Wills.

"At a time when all industry sectors are competing for resources and stretched with finding people in a booming economy, providing incentives to develop much needed renewable energy will allow project proponents to have the confidence to invest in people."

"Today's announcements can be a part of a combination of measures that deliver joined up outcomes and will help develop a more sustainable economy for all Western Australians. WA SEA looks forward to further election commitments on sustainable energy measures that bolster energy efficiency and improve outcomes for the economy. Support for government agencies and tax relief for business and the community that improves access to energy efficient homes, buildings, appliances and vehicles."

"WA SEA supports all initiatives that significantly ramp up use of Western Australia's massive renewable energy resources - resources that will continue to shine on us, to wash up on our shores, and to blow past us without limit and with no inflation in its price!."

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 26 August 2008

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The election commitment by Labor announced today to a Feed in Tariff (FiT) for domestic customers will mean that householders taking full advantage of the system need never pay an electricity bill again, according to the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA), the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry in WA.

"The gross Feed in Tariff announced by the Premier today is the most generous in Australia - a move that empowers homes to supply all of their household electricity needs with renewable energy," says Dr Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

"The gross feed in tariff of 60 cents per kilowatt hour for domestic systems of up to 10 kilowatt, available only if homes also take on 100% Green Power supply, will allow home owners in WA to completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions previously associated with electricity use in those homes."

"Householders installing full capacity on their rooftops will be able to take advantage of our plentiful - and free - sunshine, and may never have an electricity bill again. Households with under $100 000 income can invest in solar with support from the Federal Government rebate and pay back the system within a very short time," says Dr Wills

"And diversifying electricity generation on roof tops of WA homes will bolster distributed generation through the south-west, and will bring both energy security and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions."

"The commitment announced by the Premier also opens the door for small to medium enterprises with a promise to explore an appropriate renewable energy buyback scheme."

"WA SEA looks forward to further elections announcements on renewable energy as a part of election commitments that can see our State ramp up use of Western Australia's massive renewable energy resource -renewable energy that will continue to shine on us, to wash up on our shores, and to blow past us - with no inflation in its price!"

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 25 August 2008

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The evidence is clear that a national emissions trading scheme will not wreck the economy but will create long-term good for the economy and the environment, according to the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA), the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry in WA.

"Claims by the Business Council of Australia that fixing climate change would be devastating for Australia's economy simply do not add up," says Dr Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

"Consider first
• Australia's GDP of more than $800 billion
• The Federal Government annual budget is over $200 billion. Within normal operations, the Federal Government is now rolling out $31 billion in tax cuts over several years;
• Last year $158 billion will be spent on new construction in Australia;
• The daily trade in shares on the ASX can be in the range of $10-15 billion in value; and
• This year we are told obesity cost us $57 billion in one year - another measure of unsustainable living."

"Compare this with:
• The carbon market in the first few years of operation will probably only have a total annual value of $3-4 billion, and less than $12-16 billion in the slightly longer term."

"The value of one day of trading on the Australian share market is more in dollar terms than would be traded in an entire year in an established carbon trading market. Compared to daily trades on the share market, carbon trading will be small change - on rough numbers the value of carbon trading will be much less than $20 million per day."

"The truth is the total value of carbon traded annually will be, in financial markets terms, very small. Indeed, as emissions reduce, the number is more likely to fall - unless we are ineffectual in rolling out energy efficiency across the nation, and fail to commit to quickly build renewable energy generation" says Dr Wills.

"And in addition to emissions trading, investment to reach a 20% renewable energy target by 2020 will require funds in the range of $25 to 35 billion over the next decade. At an average of $3 billion a year over 12 years, that's not a big number either - and will be an investment that will make a world of difference," adds Dr Wills.

"This is not to belittle the importance of the task of addressing climate change and designing the best possible emissions trading scheme to assist in the task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions without compromising our industries - it will be challenging. But ‘not compromising' does not mean ‘not inconveniencing' - we actually have to do as much as we can."

"A combination of a trading system, paired with direct incentives for industry to reduce emissions through both energy efficiency and procurement of lower emissions energy, will actually diversify the economy and create a more robust environment for business. Energy efficiency is a critical component as it will reduce inflationary pressures that would otherwise occur through spiralling fossil fuel prices" says Dr Wills.

"And the investments we are talking about won't be losses: investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy will deliver projects returning real profits in real operations with real jobs that deliver real, emissions-free energy, and help build a more efficient, more sustainable economy."

"We must fundamentally change the way we think about energy and how we do business. The numbers from the economic naysayers who are still planning an economy based on paradigms and activities of the last century that simply do not add up, nor do they provide the solutions needed for this century."

"The inconvenient truth is economic reform is achievable - while we do not pretend it will be easy, or the same as it has always been, reform will not break the economy. A well designed emissions trading scheme with scientifically-based targets and strong support for our energy based industries to reposition their energy sources will create new opportunities in a more sustainable business environment" says Dr Wills.

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 22 August 2008

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The Rudd Government can immediately act with to improve energy efficiency by tightening the Federal mandated energy efficiency targets for the Australian vehicle fleet, according to the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA), the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry in WA.

Not only is the Holden Commodore the most petrol-hungry of Australia's big-selling cars, but search all new fuel efficient vehicles listed on the Australian Government's Green vehicle guide website, and no Australian-built car appears in the top 50 of the most fuel efficient.

A search on the AGO website reveals the top 50 cars are a mix of Hybrid and diesel. Even if the search is restricted to petrol only engines, still no Australian built car rates a mention. Even an SUV, the Jeep MK Compass Limited, is more fuel efficient than any Australian built car.

"It is disappointing that, despite the level of Federal Government support for the Australian car industry over the past decade, Australian manufacturers have failed to provide Australians with an energy-efficient Australian car - this is a deplorable situation, and the Federal Government must move to tie any and all Government assistance to the industry to delivering more fuel efficient vehicles for the Australian market," says Dr Ray Wills, CEO of WA SEA.

"Transport Minister Anthony Albanese is to be congratulated in promoting the Green Vehicle Guide - Australians using this as a buying guide can get out of gas-guzzlers into new fuel efficient vehicles that are easily twice the efficiency of older cars - and in cases as much as three times more efficient. Fuel efficiency will do more than any other measure to ease the pain of prices at the petrol pump," says Dr Wills.

"The Rudd Government must also look at other measures, including changes to taxation laws so that only fuel-efficient cars and commercial vehicles are eligible for tax concessions, and similarly the state governments should target stamp duty relief and other fee relief to fuel-efficient cars," says Dr Wills.

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 20 July 2008

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The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) supports Al Gore's call for the US to replace all electricity generated by fossil fuels with renewable sources of power within a decade.

WA SEA calls on all Australian governments to quickly begin work to assess the costs and logistics of such an audacious plan for Australia.

Any government committed to a "whole of economy reform" must accept there is always more we can do, according to the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry in WA.

"Using the Al Gore challenge, replacing all of Australia's electricity generation of around 45 gigawatts capacity would require an investment in the order of $200 billion," says Dr Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

"As a lump sum this sounds like a big number, but picking a date of say 2020 to achieve the goal, spread over 12 years would be a figure of about $17 billion per year - less than the Federal Government's budget surplus," says Dr Wills.

"Of course I'm not suggesting Government foot the bill - the change would in execution only need a small component of financial support from the Federal Government - the reality is that an ambition to meet such an infrastructure and plant redevelopment target would be largely met by private investments on the back of government funded incentives," adds Dr Wills.

"Funds arising from an emissions trading market that will probably have a total annual value less than $12-15 billion could be the source of government funding for such a plan - although this number would fall as we built renewable energy generation because under this plan ultimately there would be no emissions from power generation!"

"I'm not suggesting it would be simple or easy - the logistics alone would be difficult - but nor do I believe it would be unachievable. Nor would it damage the economy - indeed it would create new jobs in new projects and build a more sustainable Australia," says Dr Wills.

"And work could start now - the Federal Government must take immediate advantage of GST windfall revenue on higher fuel prices and cash from higher royalties already flowing into Treasury as a consequence of the continuing resources boom. These revenues that will be additional to Treasury estimates provided in the May 2008 Budget must be used to move up funding for renewable technologies research that the May 2008 Budget had delayed until July 2009. Similarly a share of these funds must also be immediately directed to both support energy efficiency measures and deploy renewable energy in businesses and households."

"Tackling climate change can not rely on measures that are simply convenient - we must be audacious in our ambitions to fix the problem. No one ever won a sporting match by saying "let's try a bit" - anyone in the game knows the only way to win is to want it, to demand it, to live it. We need to approach the solutions to climate change as if we actually want to win the game."

"And substantive measures that support energy efficiency to reduce energy consumption reduce the challenge of delivering all electricity through renewable energy sources," says Dr Wills.

"Inaction - and inadequate action - will condemn us to rely on resource-extraction for energy with increasing demand bound to drive up the price of fuel sources and inflation. Oil prices will continue to spiral beyond $130-140 per barrel with on-going growth in demand from China and India, and no doubt pushing up inflation in Australia, but renewable energy will continue to shine on us, to wash up on our shores, and to blow past us - without additional cost," says Dr Wills.

"We must fundamentally change the way we create energy to power our homes, our businesses and our nation," says Dr Wills.

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 18 July 2008 

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The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) agrees with the broad principles in the carbon pollution reduction scheme green paper outlined by the Minister for Climate Change, Senator Wong. But a government that is committed to a "whole of economy reform" must accept there is a difference between "considered" and "convenient", according to the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry in WA.

WA SEA whole-heartedly supports the Minister in her resolve to act on climate change, and the principal that the businesses with the greatest carbon exposure deserve assistance to restructure and adapt. But compensation with free permits to continue carbon emissions do little to reduce carbon intensity.

"Intervention that directly helps industry reduce emissions is the most effective way to develop independence from carbon emitting fuels. Measures funded in equivalent dollar terms to the value of free permits, but that support energy efficiency measures combined with initiatives that deliver renewable energy sources, will deliver far greater value than free permits," says Dr Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.

"Direct financial compensation creates the unfortunate potential for a business to factor in a carbon deal as part of a private exit strategy with a tax-payer funded financial bonus and so avoid real measures to restructure their business and so continue to contribute real change to reduce the carbon intensity of the Australian economy," warns Dr Wills.

"Similarly, the proposal for soft starts and lead times is like the winter sales offering deals with no payments or interest for three years. The wise shopper knows if they fail to pay back the amount in the interest free period, they get slugged with a high interest bill later - the soft start proposed as a part of this package offers the same potential trap as the bargain shopper is exposed to in the sales."

"Further, the proposed soft start discounts the fact that there already is one - there is already a lead time of two years before the start of the carbon pollution reduction scheme in July 2010."

"The Rudd Government must immediately act to make the greatest use of this lead time to put in place transitionary measures prior to the start of emissions trading," says Dr Wills.

"And cutting fuel excise to compensate motorists undermines the trading scheme, and is an unnecessary delay when there is two years available to provide create changes in domestic and commercial fleets prior to the start of emissions trading. If the Government insists on a three year adjustment for motorists, then they should start the clock now and so minimise tinkering with fuel excise to include only the first year of emissions trading mirroring commercial transport."

"Immediate responses can take advantage of GST windfall revenue on higher fuel prices and cash from higher royalties already flowing into Government coffers as a consequence of the continuing resources boom, with that revenue used to move up funding for renewable technologies research that the May 2008 Budget had delayed until July 2009. Similarly available funding to both support energy efficiency measures and deploy renewable energy in businesses and households must be doubled immediately."

"And Senator Wong must expand her efforts now to broker even more substantial measures for start-up in May 2009 with next year's budget and ensure the process of adaptation is well and truly underway a year in advance of increased energy prices from an emissions trading system."

"The Rudd Government must also commit to fund the delivery of renewable energy to Federal government operations. A Government committed to act on climate change must lead by setting targets for whole of government operations - including defence, health facilities, social services, and education delivery - that aim to be carbon neutral by 2015 and take a bigger share of cutting Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by aiming to be carbon negative by 2020."

"A combination of a trading system, paired with direct incentives for industry to reduce emissions through both energy efficiency and procurement of lower emissions energy, will actually diversify the economy and create a more robust environment for business. Energy efficiency is a critical component as it will reduce inflationary pressures that would otherwise occur through spiralling fossil fuel prices" says Dr Wills.

"Inaction - and inadequate action - will condemn us to rely on resource-extraction for energy with increasing demand bound to drive up the price of fuel sources and inflation. Oil prices will continue to spiral beyond $140 per barrel with on-going growth in demand from China and India, and no doubt pushing up inflation in Australia, but renewable energy will continue to shine on us, to wash up on our shores, and to blow past us - without additional cost," says Dr Wills.

"WA SEA agrees with Senator Wong when she says failure is not an option. We must not fall for the sales ploys - we must avoid the temptation for retail therapy and to binge on our carbon credit card. We must fundamentally change the way we think about energy and how we do business," says Dr Wills.

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 16 July 2008

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The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc (WA SEA), the peak body for the sustainable energy industry in WA, officially turns six years old today, Friday, 11 July 2008.

One thing to celebrate - WA SEA now has more than 175 industry members from a diversity of companies, businesses, organisations and individuals involved in sustainable energy practices and including energy efficiency across government, business and the community.

WA SEA has a strong reputation in Western Australia for authoritative commentary on a broad range of issues around energy efficiency and sustainable energy, and is the only business peak body actively supporting substantive action on sustainable energy in Western Australia.

"WA SEA is supported by a rapidly growing membership - we have now tripled in size in the last 18 months of now 175 industry members from a diversity of businesses and organisations," says Dr Ray Wills, CEO of WA SEA.

"This range of companies, businesses, organisations and individuals are involved in sustainable energy practices and including energy efficiency across government, business and the community in: infrastructure; architecture and design of buildings and homes; transport; performance of appliances, vehicles, machinery, and industrial processes; use of renewable energy generation including passive use and solar hot water."

"Our members are many of the key energy players in Western Australia, exemplified by our current corporate members: Alinta, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, BP Australia, Carnegie Corporation, City of Mandurah, Gull Group of Companies, Horizon Power, Landfill Gas & Power, Pacifichydro, Perth Energy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rio Tinto, Solahart, Solar Sales, Synergy Energy, Verve Energy and Western Power and the WA Department of Industry and Resources."

"Carnegie Corporation, Landfill Gas & Power, Perth Energy and Solar Sales are some of our most recent additions to our major supporters list. As small but fast growing companies from across the renewable stationary energy market, they are existing WA SEA members who have stepped up their membership level to provide additional support to WA SEA."

"And the City of Mandurah is our newest corporate member, joining another dozen local government authorities already supporting the work of Western Australia's green business lobby."

"WA SEA is building relationships with businesses that aspire to be more sustainable in their own energy use, are providing the commercial solution to climate change through their products and services, or for other businesses, indirectly through their actions adopting more sustainable energy practices in their own business, and wish to support the development of good policy outcomes for business."

"The role of governments is to build frameworks that establish clear market signals, and allow Australia's innovative businesses to respond and develop the solutions. A key role of WA SEA is to offer policy options to governments building those frameworks. We need to act in every part and every level of government, in all industrial sectors, in every part of the community. And with substantial changes coming in the legislation around sustainable energy, WA SEA will be working to ensure that past - and future - election promises actually become good policy and lead to good legislative frameworks for business to get on with the work of creating solutions to climate change."

"Renewable energy generation, combined with measures for better energy efficiency, means future proofing our economy and will produce a sustainable economy with fewer inflationary pressures for all Australian homes and businesses," says Dr Wills.

"We need to act in every part and every level of government, in all industrial sectors, in every part of the community. And with substantial changes coming in the legislation around sustainable energy, WA SEA will be working to ensure that election promises actually become good policy and lead to good legislative frameworks for business to get on with the work of creating solutions to climate change."

"We need ‘joined-up thinking', with action in every thing we do - the things we build, the things we buy, how we live. And we need to act now for the future."

"And WA SEA Members are already engaged in providing the business part of the solution to climate change, to get the job done."

WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) Media Release - 11 July 2008 

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