Electricity and Energy Sector Plan Taskforce

26 April 2024 Electricity and Energy Sector Plan Taskforce Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Submitted via: DCCEEW Consultation Hub Dear Electricity and Energy Sector Plan Taskforce, Consultation on the Electricity and Energy Sector Plan Discussion Paper Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Electricity and Energy Se. [...] Relevantly, the Federal Government has also committed to a target of powering 82% of Australia’s major electricity grids with renewable sources by 2030, and has an ambition for Australia to become a renewable energy superpower.3 To meet this goal, and our emissions targets, the Plan must have measurable timeframes, clear deliverables in terms of achievement towards the targets, and periodic review. [...] Community support for the renewable energy transition is essential EDO agrees that ensuring community support and social licence is a key enabler for the energy transformation.12 We strongly support the statement that the transition can have the twin benefits of increasing equity and helping us to meet our decarbonisation objectives, and believe that the transition should have benefits for the cli. [...] As noted in the Discussion Paper, access to affordable and reliable energy is a human right enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the transition to electrification and renewable energy systems must ensure that overburdened communities are not disadvantaged when it comes to access, price, or benefit sharing. [...] First Nations communities in particular are not only more likely to be at risk from the impacts of global warming, but also be disadvantaged from climate policies and measures which lack equity considerations.16 EDO refers the Taskforce to our submission the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy for consideration of how the energy sector should transition, noting the key principles of free, prior an.