New South Wales parliamentary secretary Adam Marshall wants to slash the development fees for large-scale renewable energy projects in the state.
The Young National Party MLA told the North Coast Energy Forum in Coffs Harbour last week that in the case of one 300MW solar project slated for his electorate, fees are 10 to 20 times higher than for Victoria or Queensland.
He also used his speech to repeat his push for peer-to-peer trading, which would allow solar households to share energy with other households, rather than being forced to sell their excess solar back to the grid for a peppercorn rate.
Marshall has pushed this line before, as reported last month. But on Friday he went further, questioning why generators and retailers should try to clip the ticket on such transactions as it had “nothing to do with them.”
Marshall, in effect, is tapping into the massive opportunities for localised generation, for households, businesses, and local communities, and the massive frustration from solar households about the nominal sums they get paid for any exports. He is also recognising the rapidly shifting sands in the energy industry and technologies.
“If I can do only one thing – and I’ve only been in this role for 2 months – it is to have a genuine peer-to-peer energy scheme operating in this state,” he said to much applause from the audience.
“I say that because it just makes sense. I mean, duh. This is a way to get the second wave of community interest in PV solar and other renewables happening.”
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