Victoria moves to instate a fairer price for solar exports
Solar Citizens has welcomed today’s announcement by the Victorian Essential Services Commission (ESC) to set a minimum rate for solar exports.
The rate to be paid from July 1 this year to households and businesses who feed power back into the grid from small renewable energy sources is set at 11.3 cents per kilowatt hour.
“It is encouraging to see a fairer price will be offered to the domestic producers of electricity from the middle of the year in Victoria,” said Shani Tager, Senior Campaigner, Solar Citizens.
“We have been campaigning for a fairer price for solar following some outrageous efforts by the big power companies to rip Australian solar producers off, it is encouraging to see that the Victorian Government and the ESC have sensibly decided to recognise the contribution that solar producers make.
“Solar owners are up against hugely powerful companies and corporations who are trying to make obscene profits from the solar they produce – solar owners want, and deserve, a fair go for the contribution they make to powering Australia.
“Solar Citizens congratulates the Victorian Government and the ESC for this decision, a decision that’s in the best interests of all consumers.
“We hope to see other regulatory bodies in Australia correcting the market failure that is seeing, in some states, solar producers being paid next to nothing for the power they produce,” said Tager.
In nearly all States and Territories a relatively low price of around 5-6c per unit is offered for rooftop solar electricity sold back to the grid. This is less than a quarter of the cost of electricity the retailer charges for electricity accessed from the grid.
“We are determined to see them follow the lead of Victoria and get a fair price for their solar – right across the country,” she said.
Media Contact: Andrew Bradley P: 0403 777 137 E: [email protected]
