Response to a NT News Letter which advocates solar subsidies.

Dear Editor,

Di Koser (NT news Letters 15^th September, 2014) extolls the virtues of her roof top solar panels – which she has had installed on her roof since 2007.

Whether Di used the taxpayer-funded subsidy to install her panels is unclear from her letter. If the panels were installed with only her funds, then I have no problem.

However, I am most definitely against taxpayer funding (by way of subsidies) of so-called renewable energy systems like solar and wind.

Does Di not realise that the “cheap alternative energy” electricity that many Australians are receiving is only possible because of massive taxpayer funding running at well over $3 billion per annum? And let us not forget that there is also significant government control in the marketplace to enable consumers to “sell” their power back to the electricity supplier. This is not the way a free society should operate.

Whilst Di correctly points out that battery technology is advancing rapidly, I very much doubt she (or I) will be around long enough to see a mass electricity storage system of the capacity required to make solar and wind even slightly competitive over power from coal, gas or nuclear.

Do not get me wrong: I would like to see competitive advances in so-called renewable methods of electricity generation – eventually making them viable replacements to coal, gas or nuclear. However massive taxpayer subsidisation of these expensive forms of power generation is the last thing any wise and fair government should be doing with taxpayer’s funds. In fact it could easily be argued that subsidisation of any industry destroys innovation and therefore seriously reduces the chances of any eventual competitiveness.

The years of subsidisation of automobile makers Mitsubishi, Holden, Ford and Toyota --- only to see those companies pull out when the money was withdrawn is a typical example of what occurs when governments try to pick winners.

Australia has abundant coal reserves which at current estimates will last at least 400 years. We also have massive gas reserves. Australia should have the world’s cheapest electricity, instead, we have amongst the most costly power on the planet. And all due to unnecessary government intervention (rules, regulations and subsidies) in the electricity market place.

Yours Sincerely,

Dave Wane

Darwin