Alinta misleading consumers shows why we need to re-regulate electricity prices: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that Alinta’s conduct shows what happens when electricity is run for profit rather than for the public good.

“When you treat an essential service like a stockmarket, companies put profit before the public interest,” said Mr Bandt.

“Big power companies have been making a motzah selling what should be an essential service.

Re-regulation of prices needed to fix power mess: Greens

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the latest AEMC report provides further evidence that the privatisation of electricity has failed, and re-regulating power prices is the only way to stop big power companies from making mega-profits out of providing what should be an essential service.

“Power companies have taken an essential service and turned it into a stockmarket. As a result, the public is getting fleeced,” said Mr Bandt.

When the climate goes downhill, skiers won't: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that today's report forecasting the end of ski season in Victoria is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the expected impact of climate change on our way of life and our planet.

"Spending time in the snow is just one thing we won't be able to do as much in a warming world," said Mr Bandt.

"If the climate continues to go downhill, skiers won't.

Greens welcome Liddell sale refusal: Bandt

Greens spokesperson for climate change and energy Adam Bandt MP today welcomed AGL’s decision to reject an offer to purchase Liddell and to instead focus on closing it.

“This is a decision our kids will thank us for,” said Mr Bandt.

“Keeping coal-fired power stations open is a recipe for more intense bushfires, worse heatwaves and more deaths.

“Coal kills. The coal-huggers in the Coalition should stop trying to prop up Liddell with public money.

Budget ignores climate change despite rising pollution: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said that despite the impending climate catastrophe, the budget ignores climate change and rising pollution. Instead of increasing funding for climate change, it cut funding.

“This is another budget from the Treasurer that basically encourages climate change,” said Mr Bandt.

“Scott Morrison didn’t mention climate change in his speech and only brought up renewable energy to attack it.

Greens welcome plan to 'Repower Australia'

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today welcomed the release of a plan to ‘Repower Australia’ and called on all sides of Parliament to embrace the need for a rapid transition to a renewable energy future.

“The release of this comprehensive plan underscores the ambition gap of the old parties,” said Mr Bandt.

“Rapidly shifting to a 100% renewable energy system is essential if we want to avoid the impacts of catastrophic global warming.

Renewables jobs boom in spite of Turnbull's war on renewables: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today welcomed ABS data showing a 33% surge in employment from renewable energy in Australia, noting these gains were achieved despite the government’s war on renewable energy.

“Renewable energy is a jobs-rich industry and these latest figures prove it,” said Mr Bandt.

Abbott-friendly NEG is a dog: Greens

Greens energy and climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that as Tony Abbott starts tweeting in support of the NEG, Labor should toughen up and demand better of the Federal government than this dog of a policy.

“The NEG is a dog,” said Mr Bandt. 

“The NEG was designed to appease the coal-huggers on the backbench and Tony Abbott’s latest endorsement suggests that plan is working.”

Greens ready to block NEG.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that the more detail that emerges about the NEG, the worse the framework becomes. With each new revelation, it becomes increasingly difficult to see how the NEG is anything but a policy designed to placate Tony Abbott and the fossils on the backbench, meaning the Greens may have no choice but to block legislation when it comes to Federal Parliament.

Stopping network rorting requires rule change to reduce rate of return: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today backed The Grattan Institute’s call to reduce the ‘regulated asset base’ of our electricity networks, which echoes The Greens’ call to reduce the guaranteed rate of return offered to networks to a figure that is, or is close to, the government bond level.

“There’s no justification for making consumers subsidise investment that is essentially risk-free,” said Mr Bandt.