Strangling Renewables

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    STRANGLINGRENEWABLES:ORIGIN ENERGYS

    CAMPAIGN AGAINST

    RENEWABLE ENERGY

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    CONTENTS

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

    INTRODUCTION 3

    WHO IS ORIGIN ENERGY? 4

    WHAT IS THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET (RET)? 5

    THE GREAT GAS GAMBLE: WHY ORIGIN IS LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY 6

    HOW ORIGIN IS STRANGLING RENEWABLE ENERGY 7

    RET SMEAR CAMPAIGN: MISLEADING MODELLING AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS 7

    WIND AND SOLAR SELLOUT: WIND BACK OF SOLAR AND WIND INVESTMENTS 9

    BUILD OUT DELAY: REFUSING POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT 10

    WHY ORIGIN NEEDS TO STOP BLOCKING AND START BUILDING:THE CASE FOR INCREASING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET 11

    THE RET IS WORKING AND BRINGING DOWN WHOLESALE POWER PRICES 11

    AUSTRALIA CANT AFFORD TO BE LEFT BEHIND 11

    RISK TO RETAIL BASE: AUSTRALIANS LOVE RENEWABLE ENERGY 12

    CONCLUSION 13

    ENDNOTES 14

    For more inormation contact:

    Greenpeace Australia Pacic

    greenpeace.org/australia

    100% Renewable

    100percent.org.au

    Level 1, 33 Mountain Street

    Ultimo, NSW 2007

    2013 Greenpeace and 100% Renewable

    Design and layout by Stage Let Design

    stageletdesign.com.au

    Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy 1

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    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    But, in recent years, Origin Energy has been usingits market power or more harm than good. Oncea great supporter o the transition to a renewable

    energy powered uture, Origin has changed its tuneand has been one o the companies doing the most toundermine renewable energy investment in Australia.So why has this occurred? Why has Origin energy shited romrenewable energy advocate to adversary?

    The simple answer can be ound in its gas and retailer basedinvestment strategy. This strategy has seen it hedge itsbets on the continued dominance o gas and ossil uels inthe energy market. But, increasingly, these investments arethreatened by the emergence o cheaper, cleaner wind andsolar.

    Origin Energy has worked to undermine renewable energy and Australias very eective renewable energy target in three key ways.Firstly, running a very public campaign calling or therenewable energy target to be cut. This has involvedManaging Director Grant King regularly speaking inthe media, lobbying decision makers, and spreadingmisinormation about the cost o the target.

    Secondly, under investing in its own renewable energyportolio. Origin has pursued an absolute minimum o windinvestments, dropped away rom being one o the countries

    leading solar installers, and walked away rom investments innew emerging technologies.Thirdly, actively blocking other renewable energy developersprojects by not issuing power purchase agreements requiredor those projects to go ahead.But Origin needs to be very careul about this strategy.Australians love renewable energy and will be very concernedto learn that one o the countrys biggest retailers isundermining our renewable energy uture.The Renewable Energy Target is working renewable energy

    is increasingly cost competitive with ossil uels, loweringwholesale power prices and cleaning up our energy supply. Itis also creating new jobs and investment in towns and regionsacross Australia.Other countries around the world are setting more ambitiousgoals and targets or renewable energy generation. Australiacant aord to be let behind. Origin needs to stop blockingand start backing our renewable energy uture.

    Retailer to 4.3 million Australian customers, Origin Energy is a household name.With its massive investments in gas extraction, generation and a huge new gasexport acility, Origin Energy is one o the giants o the Australian energy world.

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    INTRODUCTION

    Australia is termed the lucky country and its orgood reason. We boast a strong economic record, lowunemployment, robust social programs and an ideal

    landscape, with seemingly endless sun and wind.This landscape makes it one o the most ideal places in theworld or the deployment o renewable energy resources.There are signicant untapped wind resources remainingacross large parts o the country.2 The area o our roo spacealone is enough to provide all o the nations electricity usingsolar panels,3 not to mention the potential or vast solar arraysin remote locations.

    At the same time, the international energy landscape ischanging. By the minute, investors are moving their energyinvestments away rom ossil uels and into renewable energy.2011 was the rst year that global investment in renewable

    energy outweighed investment in new ossil uels. Globalinvestment in renewable energy was $244 billion in 2012,4 andthe market is expected to grow such that renewable energywill represent 25% o all global energy generation by 2018.5

    The shit to renewable energy is being driven by the pressingneed to address climate change, respond to health issuesassociated with a dirty ossil uel based grid and takeadvantage o the opportunities associated with new jobs andinvestment in national and regional economies.

    However, while other countries around the world are embracingrenewable energy with great enthusiasm, Australias renewable

    energy potential is not being met. In the Ernst & YoungRenewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, Australiarecently dropped rom 4th to 6th position because o politicalinghting over its decarbonization agenda.6

    In recent years projects development particularly o windprojects have stalled or been delayed. Dozens o projectsare in the pipeline but not being built. The rollout o wind

    and large scale solar is occurring at a much slower rate thanis possible and communities have long been calling or asteraction.

    So how did we reach this situation? Why is Australiasquandering its opportunity to attract investment rom theastest growing industry in the world right now and all the

    jobs that would come with it?

    The answer lies in the power o those companies who havean entrenched interest in maintaining the ossil uel poweredstatus quo. These companies have used their market powerto stall project development, lobbied hard against new policymeasures to drive renewable energy investment, and spread

    misinormation about the cost o renewable energy programs.

    And one o Australias biggest energy retailers has led thecharge in this campaign: Origin Energy.

    Origin Energy has ought hard against the growth orenewables in our community. They have invested heavily inossil uels and growing gas projects instead o looking to theuture o energy production: renewable energy. To add insultto injury, the energy company is doing this while it advertisesits green credentials to a consumer base that they knowresponds well to a positive message about a cleaner energyuture.

    As this report clearly shows, Origin is now trying to stranglethe renewables revolution using its political, nancial andpublic power to keep power generation in its own hands.

    The Australian electricity market like others around the world fnds itsel at aascinating juncture. A carbon price, a renewable energy target, and alling technologycosts have combined to help trigger the start o what could be a rapid transition romossil uels to a new, decentralised system that relies more heavily on renewables suchas wind and solar, as well as energy storage. The governments Clean Energy Futurepromises not only to be Clean, but Cheap as well at least compared to business asusual.

    It is a transition that is being experienced in various stages in other countries, andthroughout the world there is ferce resistance rom the incumbents whose businessmodels could be trashed by this new energy paradigm.

    Giles Parkinson, Editor, RenewEconomy1

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    WHO IS

    ORIGIN

    ENERGY?

    Headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales,Origin Energy is one o Australias energy giants.

    Founded in 2000 through a demerger o Boral, which

    separated the energy business rom the building andconstruction materials Business Company, the companyspecialises in energy production, including oil and gasproduction and exploration, retail o electricity and gas tocustomers, gas transportation and distribution, and muchmore.

    In the 13 years o its existence, the company has acquirednumerous other businesses, including Sun Retail, EraringEnergy, Powercor, CitiPower and other energy retailers herein Australia and internationally. Origin is a massive producer

    o Australias energy, controlling nearly 33% o the countrysenergy market, ahead o their top competitor, AGL Energy.7Origin boasts a large gas portolio and claims to be thelargest integrated energy company in Australian and NewZealand, with 4.3 million customers in Australia alone.

    The company is run by a Board o Directors, including currentChairman, Kevin McCann. The most prolic member o theOrigin team is Grant King, Managing Director, who speaksregularly in the media and in public on behal o the company

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    WHAT IS THE

    RENEWABLE ENERGY

    TARGET?

    Central to this report and the development oAustralias renewable energy industry is AustraliasRenewable Energy Target. According to the objectso the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000the

    purpose o the RET is to encourage the additionalgeneration o electricity rom renewable sources;to reduce emissions o greenhouse gases in theelectricity sector; and to ensure that renewable energysources are ecologically sustainable.8

    The RET is the primary driver o renewable energy investmentin Australia. Legislated in 2000 and increased in 2009, the RETsets a goal or the specic amount o energy production tobe produced rom renewable sources by a certain date. Thecurrent RET is set at 20% o total energy production, or 41,000gigawatt hours, by 2020.

    The operation o the RET is explained by the AustralianGovernment as ollows:

    To achieve [the overall target], the Government has setannual targets or each year o the scheme, and requiresAustralian electricity retailers and large wholesale purchaserso electricity to demonstrate that they meet these targets.

    Compliance is demonstrated by surrendering renewableenergy certicates (RECs), where one REC is equivalent toone additional megawatt-hour (MWh) o electricity generatedrom renewable energy sources (above a 1997 benchmark).Failure to surrender adequate RECs leads to a shortall chargeo $65 per MWh. Electricity retailers and wholesale buyers(reerred to as liable entities) can choose to either generatethe electricity rom renewable energy sources themselves,or purchase the RECs rom others that have done so. Thiscreates a market or RECs.9

    The target is split into two sections large-scale renewables(i.e., wind arms and solar arms) and small-scale renewables

    (i.e., rootop solar PV and hot water). The large scale projectsare expected to deliver the lions share o the overall target.

    At the end o 2011, investment in large-scale renewablesstood at nearly $11 billion, with a generating capacity oaround 13,700 gigawatt hours per year. This would meetthe energy requirements o over 2.1 million households.Additionally, according to the most recent RET review, morethan 1.3 million small-scale installations had been validated,including solar panels and solar hot water generators.10

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    THE GREAT

    GAS GAMBLE:WHY ORIGIN IS LEADING THE CHARGE

    AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY

    In 2000, when the RET was frst legislated (then calledthe Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, or MRET),Origin was one o the main advocates or a fxed

    renewable energy target.Origin was on a path to becoming one o Australias leadingcorporate citizens in its promotion o the shit to a cleanenergy powered uture. Its public advertising and imageryenthusiastically eatured wind and solar, geothermal and tidalprojects, and it heavily promoted its GreenPower program,which grew to 800,000 residential and nearly 40,000 businesscustomers.12

    However, since then, Origin has substantially changed its tuneon renewable energy. It has wound back its own renewableenergy investments and led an industry push to see therenewable energy target cut back.

    So why has Origin Energy has made such a shit, romchampion to challenger, advocate to adversary, romproponent to protagonist in the ght against renewableenergy?

    Looking more closely at Origins recent investment strategy,the answers become clear. Three major components o itsbusiness interests its gas expansion, gas generation andretail arm are all directly threatened by a rapid growth inrenewable energy.

    Origin has put its bets upon a massive expansion o thegas industry, with huge investment in a massive coal seamgas to liquid natural gas acility in Queensland, at a total

    cost o approximately $24.7 billion.

    13

    Its retail arm continuesto generate almost three quarters o Origins earnings.14And Origin owns nine gas generating plants with combinedcapacity o 2541MW.

    But, in recent years, these three areas o expansion havebecome exposed to signicant risk. Signicant communityopposition to coal seam gas continues as a major challengeor the major gas extraction companies. The rapid rollouto solar PV in which 1 million Australian homes are nowpowered by solar panels has contributed to alling demandor Origins retail services. And increased penetration o largeand small scale wind and solar has contributed to allingwholesale power prices which, combined with alling demand,

    has knocked o the protability o gas red generators.

    Origin Energys wide ranging ossil uel investmentsare increasingly exposed as Australia moves to a lowcarbon economy. With alling wind and solar prices, thesetechnologies are becoming increasingly competitive in theenergy market. But, Origin has not jumped on or the ride. Ithas hedged its bets on the ongoing protability o ossil gasand is now using its market power to undermine the maindrivers o renewable energy. This is its great gas gamble.

    Origin has wide-ranging ossil uel investments, with exposure as Australia movesto a low carbon economy. Its recent rhetoric shows Origin is under pressure rom anincreasingly competitive solar industry.

    Nobody should be surprised that a big ossil uel and coal seam gas company wantsto scuttle the Renewable Energy Target. The Australian Government must ignore thisongoing campaign rom vested interests and keep building our clean energy uture.

    John Grimes, CEO, Australian Solar Council11

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    ORIGIN ENERGY HAS USED ITS DOMINANT

    MARKET POSITION TO UNDERMINE THE

    ADVANCEMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGYIN THREE KEY WAYS.

    RET SMEAR CAMPAIGN: MISLEADING MODELLING AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS

    The most well-known examples o Origins campaign againstrenewables are Grant Kings prolic public statements thatattempt to conuse and distort the public conversation aboutthe cost and eectiveness o Australias renewable energytarget.

    Its noteworthy that Grant King complains about the levelo uncertainty around renewable energy when he, and hiscompany, have substantially contributed to the creation o thisuncertainty in the rst place.

    On the same day as signing one o the biggest powerpurchase agreements or growing renewables (the StockYardHill wind project in Victoria), Mr King managed to makeheadlines by oering nothing but criticism o the renewablesindustry and the RET, arguing that the level o the RET[should] be reduced by more than a th rom 45,000

    gigawatt-hours to 35,000 gigawatt-hours in 2020.16

    King has argued that because energy demand is alling, the41,000GW target means Australia will overshoot its 20% goal,and has tried to use this as justication or cutting back thetarget. Such a cut would be the equivalent o not buildingsome 220 ty megawatt solar PV plants or around 60 twohundred megawatt solar thermal power stations with ourhours storage according to the Australian Solar Council.17

    HOW ORIGIN

    IS STRANGLING

    RENEWABLE ENERGY

    The RET is not achieving any o its objectives. Weve seeninterventions, rom the old RET, to the SRET, to increased targets,and all these sorts o things, so to your core question, all o thosepolicies which go to supply o energy in the community, thereis still substantial uncertainty about key elements o that policymix and how we achieve our environmental objectives as well

    as our economic objectives in this country.

    Grant King, Managing Director, Origin Energy15

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    But Origins push has been rebued by recent independentreviews. The most recent review o the RET by the ClimateChange Authority, conducted in 2012, rejected Origins claims,nding that lowering the target would have no signicantimpact on reducing average household electricity bills andwould result in an extra 94 million tonnes o greenhousegas emissions coming rom the electricity sector by 2030.The Authority recommended that the target should be kept

    xed in terms o gigawatt hours to provide condence toinvestors.18

    Furthermore the continual attempts to lay the blame orpower price rises at the eet o renewables distorts attentionaway rom the real driver o rising energy bills: nearly 70%o the average Australians energy cost are due to network,wholesale and retail costs (see Figure 1 below). With only 6%o the average household electricity bill attributed to so-called green schemes, claims that the RET is the main drivero price rises is simply inaccurate.19

    Origins attempts to conuse public understanding about theoperation o the Renewable Energy Target have distorted the

    public debate. Picked up and championed by conservativepoliticians and newspapers, Origins statements have alsobeen eective at undermining political support or the utureo the target. This has been a signicant contributing actor inundermining investment certainty and delaying projects romgoing ahead.

    FIGURE 1: PRICE BREAKDOWN OF AVERAGEAUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICITY BILL20

    Wholesale priceA

    Network charges

    Other costsGovenment support or solarGovernment support or large-scale renewable energyB

    A. A The cost o traditional generation rom sources like coal and gas

    B. Hydro, wind, bioenergy

    21%

    41%

    30%

    6%

    2%

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    WIND AND SOLAR SELLOUT: WIND BACK OF SOLAR AND WIND INVESTMENTSThe second way Origin is adding to the delay o therenewable energy rollout is through its own lacklustreeorts as a renewable energy developer. The companyboasts in shareholder reports that it is investing inrenewable energy,22 but these reports overplay theactual investment.

    In spite o the size o the company and its large market share,Origin has only a modest portolio o large scale projects in

    the works. Currently, Origins only operating wind arm is the30MW Cullerin Range wind arm, and the StockYard Hill windproject in Victoria is the only wind project in their investmentpipeline. Grant King has said that no decision will be madeabout proceeding with that investment until it has completedbuilding liquid gas acilities in Queensland.23

    In regard to small scale solar, Origin has installed panels or70,000 Australian homes since oering solar systems in 2002.24Origin used its retail arm to develop a strong presence in thespace, and it dominated the solar market up until 2010, whenit reached the position o #1 installer in Australia producingaround 34 MW o energy.25

    But, in spite o great success in solar, the company has gonequiet about it intentions to expand this component o itsbusiness recently alling out o the top ten list o solarinstallers. In act, when solar has been mentioned, it hasbeen to disparage it, with Mr King recently stating that solarhas, in my view, had a terrible impact on consumers and hasbeen overstimulated by eed-in taris. Its just wrong and aconsequence o poor policy.26

    In addition Origin has walked away rom one o its onlymajor investments in emerging technology writing down its50% investment by $134 million in its Sliver Cell technologyproject.27

    Ater investing (and losing) a lot o money in hot rock geothermal and cuttingedge solar PV, King has retreated to conventional technologies coal, gas, volcanicgeothermal and run-o-river hydro and with other companies has invested heavily inLNG, which will probably make a squillion, but in the domestic context serves mostly tomake gas-fred generation more expensive as supplies rise to export parity prices.

    Giles Parkinson, Editor, RenewEconomy

    21

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    BUILD OUT DELAY: REFUSING POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS

    Potentially more damaging than Origins lack oinvestment in its own renewable energy projects,however, has been its unwillingness to issue powerpurchase agreements or other project developers.

    A power purchase agreement is a contract between anenergy generator and a retailer to ensure that developerso renewable projects have a guaranteed customer or theenergy they produce. These are essential to the nancialviability o most projects and to making the economics o aproject stack up.

    Over the last three to our years when the market experiencedan oversupply o renewable energy certicates, Origin (andother major energy retailers) bought up big. They have sincebeen sitting on these certicates, and using them to meettheir obligations under the RET, but making no moves to enternegotiations with other project developers or new projects.

    In 2012 the renewables market learnt that Origin Energy heldenough [renewable energy certicates] to last to the 2015/16nancial year. Six months ago, the company said it wasacquitted to around 2014/15, raising hopes that the utilitieswould be soon orced to market to negotiate contracts withclean energy developers30 but this has not unolded.

    Pacic Hydro, a renewable energy company based inMelbourne, has outlined the challenges it has had in gaining apower purchase agreement with large energy utilities, includingOrigin Energy, with the companys Executive Manager oCorporate Aairs, indicating the energy giant has managed to

    [halt] the signing o long-term power purchase agreementswith wind and other renewable energy suppliers, in eectblocking developers rom securing loans or new projects.31

    Ingen, another renewable energy generator, has saidthat although there are some power purchase agreementsavailable rom Origin, they are at prices which areunsustainable and thus unaordable.32

    The issues around energy retailers not providing powerpurchase agreements to renewable energy generators hasled to questions o anti-competitiveness, with Leader othe Greens Party, Christine Milne, writing to the AustralianCompetition and Consumer Commission in 2012 to askthat they examine claims that the major power companies,including Origin, were using their market power to hinder theroll-out o wind and solar projects.33

    The lack o willingness to issue power purchase agreementshas cause signicant consternation in the renewable energyindustry. Without power purchase agreements, renewableenergy projects are unable to be developed, leaving a

    situation in which a large amount o capacity will need to bebuilt in a very short period o time i Australia is to meet the2020 target.

    We can thereore see Origin Energy is playing a giant gameo chicken. It is using its market power to delay investments,its public prole to blame delays on the sector and spreadmisinormation about costs, and its lobbying power to thenuse delays and cost as justication to try and wind Australiasmost eective policy back. And all this in the interests o itsmassive gas investments.

    For whatever reason, [Origins] just notcontracting. Unless they start contracting,

    you just simply cant get the fnance...to

    build these projects.Andrew Richards, Pacic Hydro28

    Australias renewable energy developersmay have to learn to be a little morepatient. The market or renewable energy

    certifcates remains in deep surplus, andthe major utilities appear in no urgency tocommission new projects.RenewEconomy29

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    WHY ORIGIN NEEDS

    TO STOP BLOCKING

    AND START BUILDING:THE CASE FOR INCREASING THE

    RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET

    THE RET IS WORKING AND BRINGINGDOWN WHOLESALE POWER PRICES

    Despite continual undermining rom the ossil uelindustry, the RET has already proved itsel highlysuccessul. To date some 25,000 jobs have beengenerated through projects supported by the target,and more than $20 billion in private investment in

    household and large-scale renewable energy hasoccurred since it was established.34

    For the towns and communities where projects are beingdeveloped, this brings new jobs and a revitalisation oregional economics. The RET has also helped 2.5 millionAustralians install solar panels on their roo and take backcontrol o spiralling power bills.

    In addition, renewable energy investments are now widelyunderstood to be reducing wholesale power prices, withoutwhich domestic consumer power bills would be measurablyhigher.35

    One example o this is South Australia, where the state boastsnearly 30% o its energy generation rom renewable resources.There amilies have enjoyed electricity costs being reduced bynearly $100 rom 2009 to 2011.36 And the SA grid operator hasbeen able to avoid $167 million o expensive grid upgrades.South Australia is now tracking towards 50% o its energygeneration coming rom renewable sources.37

    AUSTRALIA CANT AFFORDTO BE LEFT BEHIND

    While Origin Energy is pushing or Australias targetto be wound back, countries around the world areracing ahead. Germany, with 20% o its energyproduction generated rom renewables in 2011, and400,000 new jobs created nationally, is oten cited as a

    leading example.38

    However, dozens o other countrieshave also set ambitious agendas or investment inrenewable energy. In total, nearly 70 countries haverenewable energy targets, including Sweden whichboasts a RET o 60% by 2010; and the Philippines arelooking towards 100% renewables by 2050.39

    According to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance,renewables are on track to be competitive with ossil uelsin coming decades.40 And the International Energy Agency,the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have all calledor more investment in renewable energy.

    Even recent modelling by Australias Energy Market operatorshows that 100% renewable energy by 2030 is entirelyachievable, with supporting studies demonstrating this willcost no more than business as usual.41

    Should the Australian government listen to Origin Energyand wind back the Renewable Energy Target, Australia risksbeing locked into a high cost, high polluting ossil uel uture,with substantial stranded assets, and missed opportunities inrenewable energy investment.

    All this raises the question why are we not aiming higher?

    Renewable Energy just makes sense. We have so much sun and wind, we should beusing it to power our homes and schools and actories. We should be increasing ourrenewable goals not cutting them back. Lets get on with it.

    Kate Read, Origin energy customer, Sydney

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    AUSTRALIANS LOVERENEWABLE ENERGY

    Overwhelmingly, Australians support the transition torenewable energy, with survey ater survey showingat least 7080% o energy customers support greateramounts o clean energy.42 This includes researchcompleted by the CSIRO, which ound strong

    support or increasing research and developmentinto renewable energy,43 and by Essential Media andCommunication, which ound that more than three-quarters o respondents are in avour o Governmentassistance and support or... renewable energyindustries.44

    A recent report, published by The Climate Institute, indicated69% o Australians currently think the Renewable EnergyTarget is about right, or should be higher, and 40% oAustralians believe the target should be higher.45 Communitymembers are enthusiastically embracing rootop solar. Andnow local community groups across the country are hard atwork putting together plans to build community owned wind

    and solar projects.

    These levels o public support or renewable energydemonstrate a signicant risk to Origin Energy. At presentpublic awareness o Origins eorts to strangle renewableenergy are not well understood. However a signicantconsumer backlash and abandonment by thousands ocustomers is possible as Origins role undermining windand solar is revealed. Already levels o trust in our energyproviders are low. I Origin wants to avoid a signicant losso its customer base it will need to demonstrate to the publichow it is backing, not blocking renewable energy.

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    This report has demonstrated the myriadways that Origin Energy is trying tostrangle renewable energy in Australia.Origin has under-invested in its ownrenewable portolio, blocked othercompanies projects rom going ahead,

    and run a very public campaign againstthe renewable energy target.

    However, this strategy is a huge gamble or Origin.Renewable energy is increasingly cost competitivewith ossil uels, lowering wholesale power prices andcleaning up our energy supply. It is widely loved byAustralians across the nation who can see that usingthe sun and wind to power our homes just makessense.

    It is now time or Origin to give up its game. Origin needsto recognise that investing in old technology will leave thecompany behind, and it is time to jump on the wave orenewable energy prosperity set to roll over our nation andthe world.

    Should they not change their tune, community groups andenergy customers will increasingly call out Origins actionsor what they actually are a desperate attempt to stranglerenewable energy growth to maintain a prot rom dyingtechnologies.

    The Australian government must resist Origins push to windback the Renewable Energy Target, and Origin needs to hear

    loud and clear: the community wants wind and solar stopblocking and start backing...

    CONCLUSION

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    ENDNOTES1. Parkinson, G., Origin o the energy species: Will our utilities every evolve?,

    RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.

    au/2013/origin-o-the-energy-species-when-will-our-utilities-evolve-174052. Ernst & Young, Australia, Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index

    [Issue 37], p. 31, 2013.

    3. Wind and solar power statistics, acts and trivia, Energy Matters [ONLINE].

    Available at: http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/solar-

    wind-trivia.php

    4. McCrone, A. , Usher, E., et al, Global Trends in Renewable Energy

    Investment 2013, June 2013.

    5. International Energy Agency, Renewable Energy Medium-Term Market

    Report: Market and Projections to 2018, 2013.

    6. Ernst & Young, Index Highlights, Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness

    Index[ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.ey.com/UK/en/Industries/Cleantech/

    Renewable-Energy-Country-Attractiveness-Index---Index-highlights

    7. Pearson, R. Whats the Problem with Origin?, The Motley Fool, 2013

    [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.ool.com.au/2012/10/25/whats-the-

    problem-with-origin/

    8. Australian Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act, 2000. Available athttp://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00237

    9. Parliament o Australia, Mandatory Reneawble Energy Target, 2010

    [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/

    Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/

    ClimateChange/Governance/Domestic/national/Mandatory

    10. Australian Government: Climate Change Authority, RET Report, 2012.

    11. Martin, J., Origin Energy: Reduce the Renewanble Energy Target,

    Solar Choice, 2012 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.solarchoice.net.au/

    blog/origin-energy-ceo-cut-the-renewable-energy-target/

    12. Manning, P, GreenPower puts the power back in your hip pocket, Sydney

    Morning Herald, 2011 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/

    business/greenpower-puts-the-power-back-in-your-hip-pocket-20110211-

    1aqpb.html

    13. Parkinson, G., Origin still unhappy with renewables ruling and target,

    RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.

    au/2013/origin-still-unhappy-about-renewables-ruling-and-target-52275

    14. ibid.

    15. Parkinson, G., Interview: Origin Energy CEO Grant King, RenewEconomy,

    2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/interview-

    origin-energy-ceo-grant-king-61027

    16. Edis, T., Origins opportunistic RET resistance, Business Spectator,

    2013,[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/

    article/2012/5/3/smart-energy/origins-opportunistic-ret-resistance

    17. Hannam, P. and Robins, B., More pain to come on power prices,

    Sydney Morning Herald, 2013 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smh.

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    19. Clean Energy Council, Solar PV Fact Sheets, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resourcecentre/Consumer-Ino/solar-

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    20. ibid.

    21. ibid.

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    26. Dagge, J., Origin Energy Chie Grant King blames rising power prices on

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    28. Hannam, P., Renewables uture at mercy o big power companies,

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    34. ibid.

    35. Parkinson, G., Origin o our energy species: Will our utilities every evolve?,

    RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.

    au/2013/origin-o-the-energy-species-when-will-our-utilities-evolve-17405

    36. Parkinson, G., South Australias Perect Energy Mix: Cleaner, greener,

    cheaper, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://

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    greener-cheaper-34979

    37. Parkinson, G., South Australia heads to 50% Renewables within a Decade,

    RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.

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    38. Federal Ministry or the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear

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    41. ibid.

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