2023-03-02
The Greens have today launched their plan to decarbonise the economy and deliver affordable renewable energy, for every household ahead of the NSW election.
“Privatisation of the electricity market in NSW has clearly failed. Households and businesses are being plunged into energy poverty, paying escalating and exorbitant prices for their electricity - all while the big polluting coal and gas companies continue to rake in obscene profits,” Greens MP and spokesperson for Treasury and Energy, Abigail Boyd
“Our plan will deliver affordable renewable energy - for every household.
“The plan will see NSW take back control over our power supply and ensure we are never again at the mercy of the private market for our essential energy needs.
“Renters and low income households face the highest energy bills because of inadequate insulation and inefficient appliances, and a lack of access to self-sufficient technologies like solar panels and batteries.
“We’re heading towards a future where those with the most are insulated from the volatility of the energy market, while more vulnerable households are totally subject to the profit motives of private business.
“We must take back control over our power supply and ensure that we are never again at the mercy of the private market for our energy needs.
“By phasing out coal and gas power plants, investing in offshore and onshore wind, solar and energy storage and updating the electricity grid, we can repower our economy and society with clean energy.
“Privatisation has been a disaster, but despite all of the evidence, both of the major parties have announced more public money to deliver private profits. Our plan will buck that trend and invest in public assets for public use, not for delivering inflated corporate profits,” Abigail said.
Under the plan, the Greens will:
- Establish PowerNSW, a new, publicly owned non-profit electricity company to reduce power bills
- Invest in publicly owned renewable energy generation projects
- Tackle energy poverty and assist households to lower their exposure to the energy market with a rollout of household efficiency upgrades
- Strengthen renters rights and mandate minimum efficiency and thermal comfort standards for rental properties over 5 years
- Get one million homes off gas over 6 years
- Ban gas connections on new builds from 1 July 2024
Quotes attributable to Cath Blakey, Greens candidate for Wollongong:
“This plan will immediately provide cost of living relief by lowering power bills, and lays out a plan for electrification by getting one million homes off gas.
“The change is already upon us and Wollongong is in many ways leading the country on a pathway to decarbonisation.
“The question now is whether this pathway will be with the support of the government, with public investment delivering a vision for the future, or if we will be left to navigate further privatisation and a scattered and disjointed rollout.
“Energy bills are skyrocketing across the State, plunging people into energy poverty, but neither NSW Labor nor the Coalition have any credible plan to reduce energy costs for households,” Cath said.
The Greens plan to slash energy prices and repower the economy | Greens NSW