Media Release: EEC welcomes ARENA focus on energy efficiency 26 July 2022
The Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) today welcomed the Albanese Government’s adoption of regulations allowing the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to invest in research, development and demonstration of energy efficiency and electrification technologies.
Energy efficiency and electrification are key strategies to enable the clean energy transformation needed to achieve Australia’s emissions reduction targets and make the most of Australia’s abundant renewable energy resources.
EEC CEO Luke Menzel said that a focus on energy efficiency and electrification would complement ARENA’s existing activities.
“Energy efficiency and electrification bring the smart flexibility needed in a 21st century energy system and lets Australian households and businesses unlock Australia’s clean energy advantage,” Mr Menzel said.
“Harnessing efficient electric technologies is a key strategy to reduce energy use and bills, which is front of mind for households and businesses during the energy crisis.”, he said.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency Amendment (Powering Australia) Regulations 2022 are currently before Parliament, and Mr Menzel encouraged the new Parliament to support them.
“Energy efficiency and electrification supports and enhances the outstanding work done by ARENA over the past decade and helps extract the most value from investment in renewable energy.”
However, he noted that ARENA’s additional functions will require additional resourcing to adequately perform.
“We must ensure that ARENA can give proper attention to its new functions, and we urge the Government to consider extra funding for ARENA in the upcoming Budget.
The role of electrification and energy efficiency is particularly important for business and industry, as high gas prices are creating havoc amongst Australia’s manufacturing sector.
“New Zealand has committed NZD$1 billion to industrial decarbonisation. The Australian Government will also need to make investments to harness energy efficiency and electrification to build on Australia’s competitive advantages in renewable energy, powering a new wave of clean manufacturing in this country.”
ENDS
Contact:
Alex St John, Acting Head of Policy
alex.stjohn@eec.org.au
0413 698 181
Twitter - @EECouncil