The Grattan Institute has responded to critics following Origin Director of Energy programs, Tony Wood and Energy Fellow, David Blower’s recent article on solar use in Australia’s future.
The initial statement suggested that government needed to avoid the mistakes of the past and ‘finally get solar power right’ in Australia.
According to Mr Wood, in the first phase of large-scale growth in solar, lavish feed-in tariff schemes introduced between 2008 and 2011 encouraged 1.4 million households to install panels on their roofs – the highest proportion of households of any country.
‘It’s not surprising that supporters of solar PV have been concerned about the findings of our report that quantify the policy failings of the past. In this report’s criticism of poor government policies, they see a demonising of the technology itself,’ wrote Mr Wood.
However demonising solar was not the intention, writes Mr Wood. Read the response here.
