Parliament to vote on solar bill

Green MP Gareth Hughes wants to help encourage the installation of solar systems on households and businesses. Photo / Supplied

Green MP Gareth Highes had one of his Member's Bills pulled from the ballot in mid-August.

The Electricity Industry (Small-Scale Renewable Distributed Generation) Amendment Bill is now set to be voted on by Parliament in the near future.

MPs will decide whether to support an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act, which would ensure households receive a fair price for any excess renewable energy they sell back to the grid.

"The price of solar panels has dropped 99 percent over the last four decades so going solar has become an increasingly smart, green option for families and small businesses," said Hughes.

"A small law change is all that is needed to give the thousands of Kiwis going solar a fair go. My bill will empower an independent umpire to set a fair buy-back rate and establish standardised contracts to provide certainty and fairness for all."

Households that sell excess renewable energy back to the grid get varied payment offers at present. Last year, major power companies Meridian and Contact Energy announced cuts of 50 to 70 percent in the amount they would pay to buy renewable power back from customers.

Hughes believes the government and power companies are trying to slow the uptake of homes and businesses generating their own tower.

"National has so far failed to support families and small businesses going solar with fair rules but they can support this simple, positive solution," he said.

"We can support clean energy without subsidies by simply empowering the Electricity Authority to set a fair and reasonable buy-back rate. Small-scale distributed generation, like solar power, can be big part our clean energy future.

"Going solar will lower our carbon emissions, add resilience to our grid, enable people to gain greater independence from increasing power prices, and will create good green jobs throughout New Zealand."

To look at a copy of the Electricity Industry (Small-Scale Renewable Distributed Generation) Amendment Bill, click here.

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