The Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) $2.3 billion election pledge to support the installation of home batteries has sparked varied reactions from organisations across the country.
The proposed program aims to add over a million batteries in the next five years, starting July 1, offering households and businesses a 30 per cent discount on new batteries.
The Climate Council’s CEO, Amanda McKenzie, expressed strong support, stating: “This is Australia’s time to shine! We are the sunniest country in the world with more than 40 per cent of our power coming from renewables.
“Batteries allow us to soak up that clean power when it’s abundant and use it whenever we need it.”
Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Lee Douglas also welcomed the announcement, stating: “This is a smart move to slash energy bills both now and long term.
“This policy would enable much needed cost of living and energy bill relief for all Australians for decades to come.”
HIA Chief Executive Simon Croft noted the potential for homeowners to cut power bills and boost home battery installations, stating that this “announcement from the Prime Minister of a $2.3 billion home batteries subsidy program is an important initiative to support homeowners cut power bills and boost uptake of home battery installations”.
WWF-Australia’s Senior Manager, Energy Transitions, Rob Law, commented: “This $2.3 billion investment in lowering power bills will deliver cost savings and flow-on benefits to millions of Australians.”
Property Council Chief Executive Mike Zorbas stated that “helping households electrify is a no-brainer”.
While welcoming the initiative, WWF-Australia emphasised the need for broader action to ensure equity in the energy transition.
Rob Law stated: “We cannot allow the energy transition to expand inequality in Australia,” he said, and called for greater support for solar and energy efficiency upgrades for all Australians.
The Climate Council highlighted Australia’s existing leadership in rooftop solar, with over four million households utilising solar power.
They estimate that the ALP’s policy could double power bill savings for families with solar while easing pressure on the grid.
HIA pointed out that while one in three Australian households have solar panels, only one in 40 have a battery, indicating a significant opportunity for household batteries to reduce reliance on grid power.
Solar Citizens emphasised the importance of the policy in the context of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) modelling, which projects the need for one million home batteries by 2030 to maintain low energy bills.
The Climate Council has called on all political parties to match the ALP’s policy commitment before the election.