Renewable energy developers may quit Australia

A lack of clear renewable energy policies from Australia’s federal government and problems getting Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO) approval to connect new projects to the grid have many renewable energy developers ready to pull the plug on further investments in Australia.

So says CleanTechnica which puts up the headline that renewable energy developers are ready to quit Australia over “idiotic” government policies – likely to impact on EV uptake if that happens, especially those wanting to see a move away from fossil fuel powered electricity.

It cites PV Magazine saying during a webinar by Australia’s Smart Energy Council, government relations manager Wayne Smith said, “They’re done. The sovereign risk in Australia is too great”.

Clean Energy Finance Corporation former chief executive Oliver Yates is also reported as saying during the event that the combination of curtailments and connection failures, together with arbitrary rules governing access to Australia’s transmission network, are all creating “an environment that is starting to become uninvestable”.

He reportedly says that after a decade of gibberish from the federal government regarding renewable energy policies, the whole process is “unable to be understood by participants”.

Webinar participants warned current policies make it impossible to invest in renewables there.

Sydney-based Downer Group has announced it will no longer bid to build solar farms, mainly because of a lack of new investment.