Progress for Australian Power

On Aug. 19, Australia's government set a goal of producing 20 percent of the nation's energy from renewable resources by the year 2020, and according to this Bloomberg article, the bill passed the following day. This will be a huge increase over the present 5 percent; in addition, electricity producers will be required to offer renewable energy to consumers.

Said conservative environment spokesman Greg Hunt in a Reuters article about the initial goal: "Today's decision is a victory for common sense, it's a victory for the environment and it's a victory for renewable energy."

The Australian decision is a significant step toward a larger deal related to emissions trade laws, expected to reach parliament in November. If the larger plan goes into effect, Australia will cut carbon emissions by 5–25 percent by 2020.

While neither of these agreements meet all of the Green Party's hopes, both will move the nation toward a more environmentally friendly energy policy. And as mentioned in the Bloomberg article, "the renewable energy bill will help spur A$28 billion of investment and create 28,000 jobs in industries such as wind and solar power, according to the Melbourne-based Clean Energy Council."

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