AM - Vic to create renewable energy targets

TONY EASTLEY: In a speech today, the Prime Minister will flag his support for technological solutions to tackle climate change, including nuclear power and clean coal.Just as John Howard will be talking down greenhouse gas emission trading schemes, Victoria is set to become the first Australian state to create its own mandatory renewable energy targets from next year.Power bills, though, will rise, and the state will get more wind turbines. But the Bracks Government says it'll be worth it.Alison Caldwell reports.ALISON CALDWELL: From January next year, electricity retailers in Victoria will have to purchase a minimum of 10 per cent renewable energy by 2016.The state's Renewable Energy Target scheme will save 27 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of taking every car off the road for two years. Energy Industries and Resources Minister Theo Theophanous.THEO THEOPHANOUS: Victoria decided, following the Federal Government's abrogation of its responsibilities in relation to renewable energy when it nobbled its own scheme, called the MRET (Mandatory Renewable Energy Target) scheme, that we couldn't just sit back and leave Victoria with only 4 per cent of our energy being produced from renewable resources.So we have produced our own scheme and announced it today, and it will allow Victoria to move from 4 per cent to 10 per cent renewable energy by 2016.ALISON CALDWELL: It's a compromise of course. At the last election, the Bracks Government promised 10 per cent by 2010.In the end, the consumer will pay for the scheme, with domestic power bills increasing over the next two years.Theo Theophanous again.THEO THEOPHANOUS: Paying less than $1 a month for Victorians, I don't think Victorians are going to be upset by the idea of having to pay less than $1 a month to ensure that so many millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases that would otherwise go into the atmosphere don't go into the atmosphere.ALISON CALDWELL: Now, the Prime Minister today is making a speech in which he'll argue that greenhouse gas emissions trading systems have failed overseas. He says that nuclear power and clean coal are the way to go. Aren't you going backwards?THEO THEOPHANOUS: If you have a look at what's happening in England at the moment, which is in fact moving towards more nuclear, they're also at the same time moving towards substantial amount of renewable energy and new wind farms in Great Britain. So, you know, the Prime Minister is just absolutely incorrect to say that it's one or the other. ALISON CALDWELL: The scheme will result in many more wind turbines being developed across Victoria.Dominique La Fontaine is the Chief Executive of the Australian Wind Energy Association. She welcomes the new scheme.DOMINIQUE LA FONTAINE: Oh, we're going to see an increase up to another 800 megawatts of wind energy in Victoria and two to three megawatt turbines.ALISON CALDWELL: So 400 possibly?DOMINIQUE LA FONTAINE: In the order, yeah.ALISON CALDWELL: How do you think that will go down with the Federal Government?DOMINIQUE LA FONTAINE: Well, I would think that the Federal Government, given that they've welcomed renewable energy and particularly wind energy as the way in which we can make emission-free electricity, that the Federal Government will be pleased about this.TONY EASTLEY: Dominique La Fontaine from the Wind Energy Association, ending Alison Caldwell's report