Business. Scoop » Labour Promises Subsidies, New Loan Schemes For Installing Solar
Article – RNZLabour has joined the solar election policy contest, offering subsidies and two new loan schemes to remove the upfront cost of installing solar. Giles DexterPolitical reporterLabour has joined the. . .
Article – RNZLabour has joined the solar election policy contest, offering subsidies and two new loan schemes to remove the upfront cost of installing solar. Giles DexterPolitical reporterLabour has joined the solar election policy contest, offering subsidies and two new loan schemes to remove the upfront cost of installing solar. The SolarSaver policy package has some similarities to whatNational has also announced, with both parties proposing a new loan scheme secured against applicants’ properties. Like National’s policy, Labour’s Ratepayer Assistance Scheme would offer long-term, low-interest loans, and repaid through rates. Local Government New Zealand and Rewiring Aotearoa have both been calling for such a scheme. In addition, Labour has proposed loans through lines companies, underwritten by the Crown, and paid back through power bills. It would also offer $3000 kickstart subsidies for low and middle-income families, and set up a community battery fund to help neighbourhoods store power and share the savings across households. Renters would also be able to access the kickstart subsidy to cover the cost of plug-in solar, with Labour saying it would fix the regulations to make plug-in solar more accessible. Labour’s energy spokesperson Megan Woods, who announced the policy in Auckland’s Te Atatū on Wednesday, said as it stands four out of five households can’t access the bank finance they’d need to install solar on their homes. “Sometimes that’s because the loan repayments are too high, and sometimes it’s because the homeowner doesn’t have sufficient equity in their home, and renters are completely out of luck with the current packages that are available. ”She said her expectation was that all of the policy would be up and running within 12 months of taking office, and the rollout would support new and existing jobs. Asked if she was confident of her costings of $160 million over four years, Woods responded, “we have our numbers right”. “There’s nothing complicated about these costings. ”Woods warned the plug-in component of their policy would require a law change. “We don’t have enough of the plug-in systems because they’re illegal in New Zealand at the moment – the first step is making them legal. ”Hipkins claimed Labour’s policy was “much more comprehensive” than National’s that was announced a few weeks ago. He said he was confident he could get the regulatory changes done within the 12-month timeframe Labour has set, but workforce would be a greater challenge. “If people are going to have to wait to get solar installed the most likely reason is workforce. “So we’ve put quite a heavy emphasis on policy today about training people up quicker, so with micro-credentialling we can increase the workforce faster than if we use traditional ways of doing that,” he said. Rewiring Aotearoa chief executive Mike Casey is ecstatic after saying it was one of the “best days” of his life when National announced their solar intentions, and says Labour is going one better. Casey said the only thing that would make it even better “is if the Government took Cabinet decisions to advance the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme in this term instead of waiting until after the election”. “The work is done and sitting with them. New Zealanders would massively benefit, the Greens said they can have their votes, and the only thing holding the huge cost of living relief back is the Coalition deciding not to prioritise it. ”Asked if Labour would support the government if it pushed ahead with these changes today, Woods said “absolutely”. Hipkins welcomed National’s “sudden interest in solar” adding that the government could go further than National’s policy intentions and take Labour’s policy “because it’s a good policy and much better than theirs”. He said the policy would remove the upfront cost that prevented many families from accessing solar. “Renewable energy is the cheapest form of electricity available, but too many households are locked out by the initial cost. SolarSaver creates a simple one-stop shop, provides affordable finance, helps renters access solar for the first time, and offers targeted grants for families who need extra support,” he said. Last month, National announced its election solar policy, which would also allow property owners to access low-interest loans, secured against their property, and repaid through rates. National’s Home Energy Fund, which the party said was a narrower version of the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, would be jointly owned by central and local government, with the Crown putting in a $7 million equity investment for a 20 percent shareholding in the new entity. The party would also allow people to install solar without the need for council consent. National expected 80,000 people would take up its scheme over 15 years. While National’s policy document did not mention plug-in solar, campaign chair and energy minister Simeon Brown posted on social media on Tuesday that “work is underway” to develop plug-in solar standards. Brown says Labour’s solar policy will cost more than National’s and “put the country’s energy security at risk”. “Labour’s announcement is essentially National’s policy with a bigger price tag. They’ve managed to take the same idea and make taxpayers pay more for it. ”Brown said after years of attacks on the government from Labour about mills and factories closing, there was an easy solution to help keep the lights on and make energy more affordable. “If Labour genuinely wants to accelerate renewable energy, the best thing it could do is support Fast Track, which is already cutting through red tape and bringing renewable generation online sooner. ”Content Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url