Householders may soon see a reduction in their power bills thanks to a rejuvenated interest in renewable energy investment according to Green Energy Markets' July Renewable Energy Index.
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But the candidates of the two major political parties contesting the seat of Dubbo in the March state election disagree on what part government should play in reducing consumers’ power bills.
Both the National’s Dugald Saunders and Labor’s Stephen Lawrence know electricity prices will be an election issue.
“The National Party is very much on the front foot with power prices, and while the federal government also has a big role to play, the NSW coalition government is acting now,” Mr Saunders said.
“We’ve announced the setting up of a new team to lead programs specifically around reducing power costs and increasing energy security. There’s also a $55 million program to encourage the private sector to develop large-scale energy projects using emerging technologies, and a $30 million program to help communities across the State build their own local clean energy projects.
“These projects are all about developing NSW as the most resilient state when it comes to energy security, and I’ll be pushing for more ways to help our region.”
However, Mr Lawrence said the Liberal and National party state government’s privatisation agenda had been “disastrous” and was a significant cause of the power price pain consumers are feeling.
“Firstly, if elected, NSW Labor will re-regulate electricity pricing. The government scrapped this after they won power and like with so much of their privatisation and free-market extremism the results have been disastrous,” Mr Lawrence said.
“Labor’s policies will include adopting the recent recommendations of the ACCC, who estimate the measures will save households $409 per year or 24 per cent of their current bills. This is the only way to stop these runaway prices and only Labor will do it. But we need to win government first.
“It would be a wonderful thing for Dubbo to have a Country Labor MP. We would have big sway in a new Labor government and make sure that resources and projects flow to us. It would be a smart way for this community to jump because this government looks to be heading out of power. The Nationals and Dugald Saunders are not the answer for lower power prices in Dubbo.”