Advertisement

Clean energy industry and Federal Government remain in deadlock over renewable energy target

The clean energy industry has rejected the Federal Government's compromise on the renewable energy target (RET).

This week the Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane confirmed the Government had offered to reduce the RET to a number in the early to mid 30,000 range of gigawatt hours of renewable electricity generation by the year 2020.

Mr Macfarlane said the industry's options where to accept the offer, or to keep the existing scheme of 41,000 gigawatt hours.

But the industry has rejected the compromise.

The Clean Energy Council's Kane Thornton said accepting the compromise would devastate the industry.

"If the scheme is left as-is without a long-term commitment from both major parties then unfortunately we'll have investment and consumer freeze," Ms Thornton said.

"With the proposal put forward by the Minister there is no confidence the policy will remain as-is."