Thousands list their names to keep the sun free
The mere proposal of a Federal Government plan to tax solar energy has led to 25,000 Australians making it known that they support cheap energy, regardless of how the big providers feel.
The ‘sun tax’ notion came from recent comments by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said that the current renewable energy tariff is driving up electricity bills for the entire country, and that renewable energy is now on his list of ways to drum up government funds.
It prompted advocates from the Solar Citizens group to launch their ‘Don’t Tax the Sun’ petition to dispel the myths of solar energy and highlight the positive measures which could help the growth of solar, rather than condemn it.
“Solar is a small portion - less than six per cent... so, why is solar being blamed?” asks Adrian Brown, a spokesperson for Solar Citizens.
“The simple answer is that it appears that big energy companies are trying to dictate our energy future, attempting to salvage their profit margins and investment in the network - and penalising solar along the way,” he said.
“Making the move to solar is a real way for families to take power over their bills and do their part for our environment.”
This sentiment has not been missed by residents, with over a million Australian homes investing more than $8 billion to take power over their power.
Given that construction in the traditional recourses sector is grinding to a halt it is even possible that governments may put aside their fondness for major petroleum companies and polluters, too see the large amount of jobs than can be created by investing in the construction of renewable energy infrastructure.