Renewable energy is a mainstream election issue in the hotly-contested seat of Macedon.

“If not us, who? If not now, when? Today is the day for Victoria to assume its rightful place in leading the nation towards a sustainable energy future.”

– The Hon. John Thwaites, second reading of the bill that created the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (2006). 

A embarrassing growth in electricity sector emissions has been seen since the repeal of the carbon tax about 100 days ago. This growth has come off the back of serious emissions reduction efforts over the last few years, and is a slap in the face to those advocating for a transition to clean generation technologies. 

MEDIA RELEASE - 7 Nov 2014

Friends of the Earth have launched a report on the views voters in the hotly-contested seat of Macedon hold on the government's anti-wind farm laws just weeks from the November 29 state election. 

The report was launched at the Hepburn Wind, an operating community-owned wind farm in the west of the electorate.   

With a government that is ideologically opposed to action on climate change, sparking a fresh debate on pricing carbon seems necessary as it could complement the Coalition’s direct action policies. Although if our major parties were serious about climate action, we would no longer be expanding our fossil fuel production, as Alan Pears writes. 

Mandating the use of fossil fuels for energy production seems to deeply contradict the ideals that many Victorian communities hold. Limiting the potential of clean energy production seems to be a world first as no other country has wound back a renewable energy target, as Ketan Joshi writes.

The discrediting of wind technology can come in all shapes and forms. From the treasurer, the PM and various conservative think tanks we often see a spin relating to the appearance productivity and overall safety of the technology. This piece is by Ketan Joshi. 

The Castlemaine Show this year (31 October-1 November) will have two very special stalls of interest to farmers, with displays on renewable energy and soil improvement.

Following the closure of a number of nuclear reactors and a fire at the Didcot B  power station in the UK, questions have arisen over energy supply. With wind accounting for more than 24% of the power share in the UK, there is confidence wind energy can easily fill a future supply gap.

In mid October, the Victorian Coalition government quietly released it's Energy Plan. There has been no environment policy released as such, which means we have to judge the government's intention on the documents that are in the public realm, and correspondence received from the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change.

The Energy Plan talks up renewable energy, yet there is very little incentive or direction on either renewables or energy efficiency. And it has raised the prospect of a coal export industry.