Advocates for advancing consumer energy resources, such as rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles, says they are concerned the Albanese government will reverse course on plans to assign technical regulations to the independent Clean Energy Regulator and instead grant oversight to its own energy department.
In March, climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen, announced the government would act on the recommendation of the National Consumer Energy Resources roadmap and establish a National Technical Regulator for consumer energy resources.
The Clean Energy Regulator “will be our preferred agency to take on this role” given its successful regulation of the Cheaper Home Battery Program”, Bowen said at the time.
The CER had regulated that program “successfully”, and had overseen world-leading small-scale renewable schemes, he said.
“They are ready,” Bowen said. “And they will ensure compliance with technical standards to deliver interoperability, so Australians get full value from their investments.”
