The Australian Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE) is a component of the Government’s expanded $5.1 billion Clean Energy Initiative (CEI). ACRE's objective is to promote the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy and enabling technologies and to improve their competitiveness in Australia. ACRE will become the Government’s central point of contact for support in the Australian Government for renewable energy and enabling technologies.
ACRE draws together more than $560 million of program funding to help commercialise renewable energy technologies. The technology to develop Australia’s renewable energy resources is supported through the following programs and measures:
A focus for ACRE will be to build on the research and development funded through other bodies, such as the Australian Solar Institute
and the Australian Research Council, taking technologies to further development, pilot or small-scale demonstration, and commercialisation. ACRE will undertake a variety of activities, including:
- developing and implementing a funding strategy capable of supporting projects along the innovation chain, encouraging additional contributions from the private sector and state/territory governments;
- establishing a venture capital mechanism that will make venture capital investments to develop promising new renewable energy and enabling technologies;
- managing the cost effective delivery of government funded renewable energy and enabling technology programs;
- providing support and advice to Government on renewable energy and enabling technologies, strategies and related issues;
- fostering collaboration between governments, industry and the research community on renewable energy projects; and
- supporting growth in skills and capacity in renewable technologies for the domestic and international markets.
Advice on ACRE’s activities will be provided to the Government by an independent, skill based advisory board. The Australian Centre for Renewable Energy Act 2010 
[PDF, 104kb] sets out the scope and governance arrangement for the ACRE Board. The Act allows for a Chair, up to 6 appointed Board members, and one ex officio member from the Australian Public Service. The ex officio member will be the Chief Executive Officer of ACRE. Please see the Explanatory Memorandum [PDF, 75KB] and the Second Reading speech [PDF, 82KB] for further information on the Government objectives and scope of activity.
Membership of the ACRE Board was announced by the Government on 11 May 2010. Details of the Board appointments can be found here
For further information and enquiries please send an email to: acre@ret.gov.au