Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, today welcomed the release of the Strategic Directions consultation paper by the Board of the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE).
ACRE's objective is to promote the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy and enabling technologies and to improve their competitiveness in Australia.
The consultation paper provides a proposed framework for ACRE to deliver this objective and recommends key ACRE priorities for investment in renewable energy technologies. This includes prioritising support for emerging technologies such as geothermal, ocean and enabling technologies such as storage.
“ACRE is an important mechanism in the Government’s efforts to encourage development and deployment of renewable energy technologies,” Minister Ferguson said.
“Renewable energy technologies have a key role to play in Australia’s energy future, and ACRE is working to ensure we get the needed investment in technology.
“I encourage industry participants to provide feedback to ACRE on its Strategic Directions consultation paper.”
The consultation process will allow industry and other key stakeholders to test the priorities identified by the ACRE Board prior to finalising ACRE’s Strategic Directions paper in early 2011.
The consultation paper includes discussion of the Government's election commitment to deliver the Emerging Renewables program. Completion of the final ACRE Strategy Directions paper is a key step in delivering on this commitment, to enable the development of the program in the first half of 2011.
The ACRE Board’s Strategic Directions consultation paper is available at www.acre.gov.au.
Written submissions close on 24 December 2010.
ACRE draws together more than $690 million of renewable energy investment to help commercialise renewable energy technologies, and forms part of the Government’s $5.1 billion Clean Energy Initiative.