Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Ministers statements: energy policy

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:26): I rise to update the house on the progress that our government is making on slashing energy bills for Victorians, not with expensive nuclear energy or fossil gas, which will simply send people’s energy bills skyrocketing, but with cheaper renewable electricity in our system, because we know that the cheapest form of new-build electricity that you can make is renewable. And that has been confirmed in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) most recent report –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Mildura is warned, as is the member for South-West Coast.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister knows that answers do have to be factual, and bills have gone up 25 per cent in the last year.

The SPEAKER: Manager of Opposition Business, that is not a point of order. The minister is not answering a question; she is giving a ministers statement.

Lily D’AMBROSIO: I am absolutely delighted to focus on things that are relevant – relevant to people’s lives – and those opposite are certainly far from that. AEMO’s most recent report says Victoria’s wholesale power prices are the lowest in the country, remain the lowest in the country, and that is thanks to our renewable energy programs. We are getting on with building up the SEC, because we know that working faster than ever to get more renewables into our system, which the SEC will accelerate, will continue to reduce power bills. Construction is on the way on the SEC’s first investment project, the project in Melton, the Melbourne renewable energy hub, one of the biggest batteries in the world, which will also help facilitate the building and connection of more renewable energy, sending more power prices down, down and down for Victorians – down, down, down.

And what is more, the SEC is gearing up to help Victorian households get off expensive fossil gas and electrify their homes, because we need to look at novel ways to be able to support Victorians dealing with the cost of living. As from 1 January this year, we know, new homes requiring a planning permit will need to be all electric, and that will save Victorians a thousand dollars a year off their energy bills, each and every year. Our Solar Homes program and our Victorian energy upgrades discounted products regime – all of these come together to deliver real cost-of-living relief for Victorian consumers.