Government Report on Solar Price recommends “doing nothing” to address unfair solar price
Solar Citizens has warned that recommendations from a Government report released today on solar power feed-in prices will allow large, State owned power companies to continue to rip off solar owners for years to come and fail to realise the benefits rooftop solar brings to all consumers.
“This Queensland Productivity Report has completely ignored the main obstruction to fair feed-in prices for solar owners - that is the costs imposed by the State-owned networks”, said Reece Turner, Consumer Campaigner.
“Excess solar power that travels a few metres over a neighbour’s fence is charged the same high rates for the use of the poles and wires as power that travels hundreds of kilometers from coal or gas fired plants. The benefits of rooftop solar are failing to be realised and all Queensland consumers are suffering"
“Presently, we have a situation where solar households are paid no minimum price for excess power that goes back onto the grid. Retailers commonly pay solar households 4-6c / kWh. This is then on-sold by a retailer to the neighbour at an 800% mark-up or more”, said Turner.
The report acknowledges that “There may be some localised network benefits from solar PV” but then fails to explore this.
“Queenslanders are leading the world in the take up of residential rooftop solar and have invested millions of their own dollars towards a cleaner, healthier renewable energy future, but the big, State-owned companies are failing consumers. The commission’s report does nothing to address or even recognise this”, said Turner
The Palaszczuk Government was elected on a strong platform of supporting solar and renewable energy in contrast to the destructive policies of the Newman LNP government. A key promise was an inquiry ways to ensure a “fair feed-in price” for solar households.
“A Draft Report on Electricity Prices released last month also over-looked ways to address network costs (or “gold-plating”) although they account for 87% of the rise in electricity prices”
“Solar Citizens urges the Government and the QPC to stop ignoring the network costs that costing Queenslanders are are preventing a fair price for solar customers.”
