The Commonwealth Government has committed to ensuring 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply is generated from renewable sources by 2020.  The national Renewable Energy Target (RET) will be the major driver of renewable energy project development in Western Australia. 

The Western Australian Government has been working with the Commonwealth Government and other state and territory governments to develop a scheme to deliver the national target.  On 30 April 2009 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed the final scheme design.

Details of the national scheme are available on the Commonwealth Government Department of Climate Change website. The Commonwealth Government released a number of consultation documents through 2008.  These and stakeholder responses are also available on the website.

The Commonwealth Government aims to have legislation for the expanded RET in place by mid-2009.

Modelling commissioned by the Commonwealth Government suggests that renewable energy projects in Western Australia will make a significant contribution to meeting the national target, particularly in the early years of the scheme.  However, the Western Australian Government considers there will be challenges in achieving high rates of new renewable energy generation in the state’s main electricity grid and is working to address them.