About the Energy Savings Initiative
An Energy Savings Initiative (ESI) is a market-based tool for driving economy wide improvements in energy efficiency. The Clean Energy Future (CEF) plan states that the further work on a national ESI will be 'the subject of detailed policy analysis, economic modelling and consultation with the community, industry and State and Territory governments'.
How the Government is involved
The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism is working with the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency to further investigate the merits of a national Energy Savings Initiative (ESI).
In line with the commitment made in the CEF plan, the Government has established an ESI Working Group to lead the further work, comprising senior officials from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.
The ESI Working Group's investigations are being assisted by an Advisory Group comprising State and Territory government officials and representatives of peak industry groups, energy market organisations, and environmental, union, community and welfare organisations.
Release of national Energy Savings Initiative Issues Paper for consultation
The National Energy Savings Initiative Working Group has released an Issues Paper for public comment (see Related documents).
The Working Group is seeking the views of individuals and organisations on issues pertinent to the Government's consideration of a national Energy Saving Initiative, including possible design and implementation issues.
Timeline
Submissions close on Monday 27 February 2012 at 4pm AEST.
Consultation events
Subject to sufficient interest, the Energy Savings Initiative Secretariat will hold half-day workshops in the cities below, and will be available for half-hour one-on-one meetings with individual stakeholders. To indicate your interest in either or both of these events, please send an email no later than two weeks before the relevant workshop to ESIworkshops@climatechange.gov.au with your preferred city and event/s. Individual meetings will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Subject to sufficient interest, the Melbourne workshop on 2 February 2012 will be partnered with a public presentation on the modelling approach. If you are interested in attending the modelling workshop, please email ESIworkshops@climatechange.gov.au by close of business on Wednesday 18 January 2012.
The precise location, date and time of each workshop will be finalised closer to the date.
| Date | City | Event/s |
|---|
31 January 2012 | Brisbane | Half-day workshop
One-on-one meetings—four places available |
02 February 2012 | Melbourne | Half-day workshop
Modelling presentation
One-on-one meetings—seven places available |
06 February 2012 | Sydney | Half-day workshop
One-on-one meetings—seven places available |
14 February 2012 | Perth | Half-day workshop
One-on-one meetings—seven places available |
Subject to interest, workshops may be convened in other capital cities. Please indicate your interest by emailing ESIworkshops@climatechange.gov.au.
Related documents
Please note that this version of the Issues Paper contains an amendment to versions circulated in December 2011 and early January 2012.
A correction was made to Figure 1.1 on page 5. See: Corrected Figure 1.1 [
PDF,68KB] | [
DOC, 67KB]
Page 67, paragraph 3, now reads:
The United Kingdom's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme includes a sub-target for suppliers to achieve 'at least 40 per cent' of total energy savings in a 'priority group' of vulnerable and low-income households. A further requirement is that 15 per cent of savings within the priority group must occur within a 'super priority group' of homes deemed to be 'lowest income households more at risk of fuel poverty'.[24]
Corrections have also been made to the list of Advisory Group members on the inside cover and the closing date for submissions, printed on the Submission Cover Sheet, now reads correctly as '27 February 2012'
More information
To register to receive more information about the national ESI policy investigation process, including the release of the Issues Paper and the workshops, email energyefficiency@climatechange.gov.au.
Further detail about the Government's commitment to do further work on a national ESI and the ESI Working Group is available on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency's website.