The Western Australian Government’s Plan for Affordable Energy is an important step towards securing affordable and sustainable energy for WA homes, businesses and industries.
The Plan for Affordable Energy lays out a pathway to serious reform of the sector as WA navigates the transition to net zero, and includes investment in transmission infrastructure, support for residential renewables and an Energy Affordability Fund for WA manufacturing businesses.
CCIWA Chief Economist, Dr Daniel Kiely, said the plan recognises the need to keep energy costs low for businesses, balancing decarbonisation with reliability.
“Having affordable and reliable energy supplies throughout the transition to net zero will be a key strategic advantage for WA over other states and our neighbours in the Asia Pacific region,” he said.
“This will allow WA to diversify its economy more quickly and will provide a buffer from global energy shocks and uncertainty.”
Dr Kiely said there was widespread support in WA’s business community for reducing emissions, as long as supplies remain stable and costs are competitive.
“The Government’s plan aligns with CCIWA’s advocacy in this area, including our recent Powering WA’s Future report which laid out several pathways to net zero without any loss of industry in WA, and Role of Gas report which called for a clear acknowledgement of WA’s reliance on gas” he said.
“Gas provides stability to the grid with around half the emissions of coal for power generation, delivering reliable and affordable energy supplies to households, businesses and heavy industry.”
CCIWA also welcomes the plan’s strong focus on ensuring more of WA’s energy infrastructure is built locally, as well as the acknowledgement that more workers will be needed to deliver the energy transition.
“The clean energy transition provides a perfect opportunity to diversify WA’s economy, but we will need the right mix of skilled workers to get us there,” Dr Kiely said.
“Apprenticeships will be a key factor in this effort, as well as ensuring the skilled migration system remains fit for purpose.”
Dr Kiely said Governments should also address other barriers to affordable and reliable energy, including constraints in the planning and approval processes.
“Inefficient approvals at both the State and Federal level will slow down the development of critical infrastructure needed to deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy,” he said.
“By tackling these approval barriers, Governments can help to ensure the State sees the benefits of these initiatives.”
CCIWA looks forward to further consultation with the WA Government on the Plan and the upcoming Future Energy System Outlook (FESO).
