Question Without Notice No. 552 asked in the Legislative Council on 14 August 2018 by Hon Peter Collier
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
SYNERGY — RENEWABLE ENERGY BUYBACK SCHEME
552. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the renewable energy buyback scheme.
(1) What is the REBS forecast payment by Synergy to customers in 2018–19?
(2) What was the actual REBS payment by Synergy to customers in 2017–18?
(3) Did Synergy submit a request to the Coordinator of Energy to reduce the REBS payments to customers for the 2018–19 financial year?
(4) If yes to (3), what was the REBS rate requested by Synergy, and how much money would this have saved Synergy over four years?
(5) Was the minister consulted by either Synergy or the Coordinator of Energy in relation to Synergy's request to reduce the REBS rate?
(6) If yes to (5), why did the minister or the Coordinator of Energy not approve this request?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for some notice of the question.
(1) It is $42 370 847 as at 2018–19 budget estimates.
(2) It was $43 148 354.
(3) Yes.
(4) It was 5.676 cents per kilowatt hour. REBS payment estimates are calculated on an annual basis. Synergy estimated a saving of $8.5 million in 2018–19.
(5) Yes.
(6) The Minister for Energy does not have a legislative role in setting renewable energy buyback scheme rates. However, the government does have a role in determining the legislative framework under which REBS operates. The Coordinator of Energy has the legislated role of reviewing REBS rates. In 2018–19, the Coordinator of Energy decided that Synergy's REBS rate should remain unchanged, pending a comprehensive review into the scheme. The government asked the Department of Treasury's Public Utilities Office to undertake this review with the objective of looking at new opportunities for households with solar panels to benefit, whilst not burdening households that cannot afford solar systems. The review will investigate how REBS can be improved to make electricity supply more efficient, incentivise better use of the electricity network, and guide future customer investment in batteries. It should be noted that around three-quarters of a customer's return on a typical residential solar system is through avoided electricity purchases from Synergy, with only around a quarter coming from REBS payments.