Solar Citizens has welcomed the first National Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Roadmap endorsed by Australia’s state and territory energy ministers on Friday as a significant step forward and is calling for urgent implementation.
The new roadmap outlines a national plan for giving households more control over their energy needs, including rooftop solar, household batteries, electric vehicles, and electric vehicle charging.
Priorities for the new CER Roadmap include:
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the goal of allowing consumers to export and import more power to and from the grid;
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more equitable access to the benefits of CER;
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nationally consistent standards including for vehicle-to-grid; and
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new consumer protections.
Solar Citizens National Consumer Advocate Campaigner Joel Pringle said CER are vital for providing Australian households with energy bill relief and cost of living savings, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the reliability of the energy network.
“Solar Citizens is excited about the transition of our homes, neighbourhoods and cities from consumers of energy to producers of clean energy. The new CER roadmap is a significant step towards achieving this vision and empowering more solar, renewables and clean transport,” he said.
“What this CER roadmap means is better coordination of our rooftop solar and batteries, and enabling vehicles to be batteries on wheels, to replace coal and gas-fired power. The $25 billion investment Australian homeowners have already made into household energy production will be maximised through better coordination of household energy resources”.
“CER is a critical solution for reducing energy bills, evolving the energy grid, and reducing carbon pollution. This roadmap can be a turning point for moving energy policy away from treating consumer energy contributions as a ‘problem’ that needs solving to truly valuing the world-leading status of Australian homeowners as clean energy producers.
“While households have been enthusiastic in their take-up of rooftop solar and more recently household batteries and electric vehicles, recognition of their contribution with a national CER plan is long overdue.
“Let’s not miss this chance to accelerate support for CER and ensure no Australian household is left behind from the benefits of cheaper, cleaner solar energy.
“Households are the powerhouse for reducing pollution from our energy system, with consumer-generate solar and renewables much healthier and better for the whole community.
“The national energy market was set up for centralised, fossil-fuel generated power, now we must plan and incentivise the next phase of clean solar generation on rooftops across every postcode, with household batteries and by unlocking electric vehicle batteries for household use.
“Solar Citizens looks forward to state governments now actioning the national CER roadmap and reports on progress at future ministerial meetings,” Mr Pringle said.
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