STRANGLING RENEWABLES:

ORIGIN ENERGYS CAMPAIGN AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY

CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION WHO IS ORIGIN ENERGY? WHAT IS THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET (RET)? THE GREAT GAS GAMBLE: WHY ORIGIN IS LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY HOW ORIGIN IS STRANGLING RENEWABLE ENERGY RET SMEAR CAMPAIGN: MISLEADING MODELLING AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS WIND AND SOLAR SELLOUT: WIND BACK OF SOLAR AND WIND INVESTMENTS BUILD OUT DELAY: REFUSING POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 9 10 11 11 11 12 13 14

WHY ORIGIN NEEDS TO STOP BLOCKING AND START BUILDING: THE CASE FOR INCREASING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET THE RET IS WORKING AND BRINGING DOWN WHOLESALE POWER PRICES AUSTRALIA CANT AFFORD TO BE LEFT BEHIND RISK TO RETAIL BASE: AUSTRALIANS LOVE RENEWABLE ENERGY

CONCLUSION ENDNOTES

For more information contact: Greenpeace Australia Pacific greenpeace.org/australia 100% Renewable 100percent.org.au Level 1, 33 Mountain Street Ultimo, NSW 2007 2013 Greenpeace and 100% Renewable Design and layout by Stage Left Design stageleftdesign.com.au

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Retailer to 4.3 million Australian customers, Origin Energy is a household name. With its massive investments in gas extraction, generation and a huge new gas export facility, Origin Energy is one of the giants of the Australian energy world.
But, in recent years, Origin Energy has been using its market power for more harm than good. Once a great supporter of the transition to a renewable energy powered future, Origin has changed its tune and has been one of the companies doing the most to undermine renewable energy investment in Australia.
So why has this occurred? Why has Origin energy shifted from renewable energy advocate to adversary? The simple answer can be found in its gas and retailer based investment strategy. This strategy has seen it hedge its bets on the continued dominance of gas and fossil fuels in the energy market. But, increasingly, these investments are threatened by the emergence of cheaper, cleaner wind and solar. Origin Energy has worked to undermine renewable energy and Australias very effective renewable energy target in three key ways. Firstly, running a very public campaign calling for the renewable energy target to be cut. This has involved Managing Director Grant King regularly speaking in the media, lobbying decision makers, and spreading misinformation about the cost of the target. Secondly, under investing in its own renewable energy portfolio. Origin has pursued an absolute minimum of wind investments, dropped away from being one of the countries leading solar installers, and walked away from investments in new emerging technologies. Thirdly, actively blocking other renewable energy developers projects by not issuing power purchase agreements required for those projects to go ahead. But Origin needs to be very careful about this strategy. Australians love renewable energy and will be very concerned to learn that one of the countrys biggest retailers is undermining our renewable energy future. The Renewable Energy Target is working renewable energy is increasingly cost competitive with fossil fuels, lowering wholesale power prices and cleaning up our energy supply. It is also creating new jobs and investment in towns and regions across Australia. Other countries around the world are setting more ambitious goals and targets for renewable energy generation. Australia cant afford to be left behind. Origin needs to stop blocking and start backing our renewable energy future.

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

INTRODUCTION
The Australian electricity market like others around the world finds itself at a fascinating juncture. A carbon price, a renewable energy target, and falling technology costs have combined to help trigger the start of what could be a rapid transition from fossil fuels to a new, decentralised system that relies more heavily on renewables such as wind and solar, as well as energy storage. The governments Clean Energy Future promises not only to be Clean, but Cheap as well at least compared to business as usual. It is a transition that is being experienced in various stages in other countries, and throughout the world there is fierce resistance from the incumbents whose business models could be trashed by this new energy paradigm. Giles Parkinson, Editor, RenewEconomy1
Australia is termed the lucky country and its for good reason. We boast a strong economic record, low unemployment, robust social programs and an ideal landscape, with seemingly endless sun and wind.
This landscape makes it one of the most ideal places in the world for the deployment of renewable energy resources. There are significant untapped wind resources remaining across large parts of the country.2 The area of our roof space alone is enough to provide all of the nations electricity using solar panels,3 not to mention the potential for vast solar arrays in remote locations. At the same time, the international energy landscape is changing. By the minute, investors are moving their energy investments away from fossil fuels and into renewable energy. 2011 was the first year that global investment in renewable energy outweighed investment in new fossil fuels. Global investment in renewable energy was $244 billion in 2012,4 and the market is expected to grow such that renewable energy will represent 25% of all global energy generation by 2018.5 The shift to renewable energy is being driven by the pressing need to address climate change, respond to health issues associated with a dirty fossil fuel based grid and take advantage of the opportunities associated with new jobs and investment in national and regional economies. However, while other countries around the world are embracing renewable energy with great enthusiasm, Australias renewable energy potential is not being met. In the Ernst & Young Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, Australia recently dropped from 4th to 6th position because of political infighting over its decarbonization agenda.6 In recent years projects development particularly of wind projects have stalled or been delayed. Dozens of projects are in the pipeline but not being built. The rollout of wind and large scale solar is occurring at a much slower rate than is possible and communities have long been calling for faster action. So how did we reach this situation? Why is Australia squandering its opportunity to attract investment from the fastest growing industry in the world right now and all the jobs that would come with it? The answer lies in the power of those companies who have an entrenched interest in maintaining the fossil fuel powered status quo. These companies have used their market power to stall project development, lobbied hard against new policy measures to drive renewable energy investment, and spread misinformation about the cost of renewable energy programs. And one of Australias biggest energy retailers has led the charge in this campaign: Origin Energy. Origin Energy has fought hard against the growth of renewables in our community. They have invested heavily in fossil fuels and growing gas projects instead of looking to the future of energy production: renewable energy. To add insult to injury, the energy company is doing this while it advertises its green credentials to a consumer base that they know responds well to a positive message about a cleaner energy future. As this report clearly shows, Origin is now trying to strangle the renewables revolution using its political, financial and public power to keep power generation in its own hands.

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

WHO IS ORIGIN ENERGY?

Headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales, Origin Energy is one of Australias energy giants.
Founded in 2000 through a demerger of Boral, which separated the energy business from the building and construction materials Business Company, the company specialises in energy production, including oil and gas production and exploration, retail of electricity and gas to customers, gas transportation and distribution, and much more. In the 13 years of its existence, the company has acquired numerous other businesses, including Sun Retail, Eraring Energy, Powercor, CitiPower and other energy retailers here in Australia and internationally. Origin is a massive producer of Australias energy, controlling nearly 33% of the countrys energy market, ahead of their top competitor, AGL Energy.7 Origin boasts a large gas portfolio and claims to be the largest integrated energy company in Australian and New Zealand, with 4.3 million customers in Australia alone. The company is run by a Board of Directors, including current Chairman, Kevin McCann. The most prolific member of the Origin team is Grant King, Managing Director, who speaks regularly in the media and in public on behalf of the company

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

WHAT IS THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET?

Central to this report and the development of Australias renewable energy industry is Australias Renewable Energy Target. According to the objects of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 the purpose of the RET is to encourage the additional generation of electricity from renewable sources; to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the electricity sector; and to ensure that renewable energy sources are ecologically sustainable.8
The RET is the primary driver of renewable energy investment in Australia. Legislated in 2000 and increased in 2009, the RET sets a goal for the specific amount of energy production to be produced from renewable sources by a certain date. The current RET is set at 20% of total energy production, or 41,000 gigawatt hours, by 2020. The operation of the RET is explained by the Australian Government as follows: To achieve [the overall target], the Government has set annual targets for each year of the scheme, and requires Australian electricity retailers and large wholesale purchasers of electricity to demonstrate that they meet these targets. Compliance is demonstrated by surrendering renewable energy certificates (RECs), where one REC is equivalent to one additional megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated from renewable energy sources (above a 1997 benchmark). Failure to surrender adequate RECs leads to a shortfall charge of $65 per MWh. Electricity retailers and wholesale buyers (referred to as liable entities) can choose to either generate the electricity from renewable energy sources themselves, or purchase the RECs from others that have done so. This creates a market for RECs.9 The target is split into two sections large-scale renewables (i.e., wind farms and solar farms) and small-scale renewables (i.e., rooftop solar PV and hot water). The large scale projects are expected to deliver the lions share of the overall target. At the end of 2011, investment in large-scale renewables stood at nearly $11 billion, with a generating capacity of around 13,700 gigawatt hours per year. This would meet the energy requirements of over 2.1 million households. Additionally, according to the most recent RET review, more than 1.3 million small-scale installations had been validated, including solar panels and solar hot water generators.10

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

THE GREAT GAS GAMBLE:

WHY ORIGIN IS LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY

Origin has wide-ranging fossil fuel investments, with exposure as Australia moves to a low carbon economy. Its recent rhetoric shows Origin is under pressure from an increasingly competitive solar industry. Nobody should be surprised that a big fossil fuel and coal seam gas company wants to scuttle the Renewable Energy Target. The Australian Government must ignore this ongoing campaign from vested interests and keep building our clean energy future. John Grimes, CEO, Australian Solar Council11
In 2000, when the RET was first legislated (then called the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, or MRET), Origin was one of the main advocates for a fixed renewable energy target.
Origin was on a path to becoming one of Australias leading corporate citizens in its promotion of the shift to a clean energy powered future. Its public advertising and imagery enthusiastically featured wind and solar, geothermal and tidal projects, and it heavily promoted its GreenPower program, which grew to 800,000 residential and nearly 40,000 business customers.12 However, since then, Origin has substantially changed its tune on renewable energy. It has wound back its own renewable energy investments and led an industry push to see the renewable energy target cut back. So why has Origin Energy has made such a shift, from champion to challenger, advocate to adversary, from proponent to protagonist in the fight against renewable energy? Looking more closely at Origins recent investment strategy, the answers become clear. Three major components of its business interests its gas expansion, gas generation and retail arm are all directly threatened by a rapid growth in renewable energy. Origin has put its bets upon a massive expansion of the gas industry, with huge investment in a massive coal seam gas to liquid natural gas facility in Queensland, at a total cost of approximately $24.7 billion.13 Its retail arm continues to generate almost three quarters of Origins earnings.14 And Origin owns nine gas generating plants with combined capacity of 2541MW. But, in recent years, these three areas of expansion have become exposed to significant risk. Significant community opposition to coal seam gas continues as a major challenge for the major gas extraction companies. The rapid rollout of solar PV in which 1 million Australian homes are now powered by solar panels has contributed to falling demand for Origins retail services. And increased penetration of large and small scale wind and solar has contributed to falling wholesale power prices which, combined with falling demand, has knocked off the profitability of gas fired generators. Origin Energys wide ranging fossil fuel investments are increasingly exposed as Australia moves to a low carbon economy. With falling wind and solar prices, these technologies are becoming increasingly competitive in the energy market. But, Origin has not jumped on for the ride. It has hedged its bets on the ongoing profitability of fossil gas and is now using its market power to undermine the main drivers of renewable energy. This is its great gas gamble.

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

HOW ORIGIN IS STRANGLING RENEWABLE ENERGY

ORIGIN ENERGY HAS USED ITS DOMINANT MARKET POSITION TO UNDERMINE THE ADVANCEMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THREE KEY WAYS.
The RET is not achieving any of its objectives. Weve seen interventions, from the old RET, to the SRET, to increased targets, and all these sorts of things, so to your core question, all of those policies which go to supply of energy in the community, there is still substantial uncertainty about key elements of that policy mix and how we achieve our environmental objectives as well as our economic objectives in this country. Grant King, Managing Director, Origin Energy15 RET SMEAR CAMPAIGN: MISLEADING MODELLING AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS
The most well-known examples of Origins campaign against renewables are Grant Kings prolific public statements that attempt to confuse and distort the public conversation about the cost and effectiveness of Australias renewable energy target. Its noteworthy that Grant King complains about the level of uncertainty around renewable energy when he, and his company, have substantially contributed to the creation of this uncertainty in the first place. On the same day as signing one of the biggest power purchase agreements for growing renewables (the StockYard Hill wind project in Victoria), Mr King managed to make headlines by offering nothing but criticism of the renewables industry and the RET, arguing that the level of the RET [should] be reduced by more than a fifth from 45,000 gigawatt-hours to 35,000 gigawatt-hours in 2020.16 King has argued that because energy demand is falling, the 41,000GW target means Australia will overshoot its 20% goal, and has tried to use this as justification for cutting back the target. Such a cut would be the equivalent of not building some 220 fifty megawatt solar PV plants or around 60 two hundred megawatt solar thermal power stations with four hours storage according to the Australian Solar Council.17

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

But Origins push has been rebuffed by recent independent reviews. The most recent review of the RET by the Climate Change Authority, conducted in 2012, rejected Origins claims, finding that lowering the target would have no significant impact on reducing average household electricity bills and would result in an extra 94 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions coming from the electricity sector by 2030. The Authority recommended that the target should be kept fixed in terms of gigawatt hours to provide confidence to investors.18 Furthermore the continual attempts to lay the blame for power price rises at the feet of renewables distorts attention away from the real driver of rising energy bills: nearly 70% of the average Australians energy cost are due to network, wholesale and retail costs (see Figure 1 below). With only 6% of the average household electricity bill attributed to socalled green schemes, claims that the RET is the main driver of price rises is simply inaccurate.19 Origins attempts to confuse public understanding about the operation of the Renewable Energy Target have distorted the public debate. Picked up and championed by conservative politicians and newspapers, Origins statements have also been effective at undermining political support for the future of the target. This has been a significant contributing factor in undermining investment certainty and delaying projects from going ahead.

FIGURE 1: PRICE BREAKDOWN OF AVERAGE AUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICITY BILL20

2%

6% 21% 30%

41%

Wholesale priceA Network charges Other costs Govenment support for solar Government support for large-scale renewable energyB

A. A The cost of traditional generation from sources like coal and gas B. Hydro, wind, bioenergy

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

After investing (and losing) a lot of money in hot rock geothermal and cutting edge solar PV, King has retreated to conventional technologies coal, gas, volcanic geothermal and run-of-river hydro and with other companies has invested heavily in LNG, which will probably make a squillion, but in the domestic context serves mostly to make gas-fired generation more expensive as supplies rise to export parity prices. Giles Parkinson, Editor, RenewEconomy21 WIND AND SOLAR SELLOUT: WIND BACK OF SOLAR AND WIND INVESTMENTS
The second way Origin is adding to the delay of the renewable energy rollout is through its own lacklustre efforts as a renewable energy developer. The company boasts in shareholder reports that it is investing in renewable energy,22 but these reports overplay the actual investment.
In spite of the size of the company and its large market share, Origin has only a modest portfolio of large scale projects in the works. Currently, Origins only operating wind farm is the 30MW Cullerin Range wind farm, and the StockYard Hill wind project in Victoria is the only wind project in their investment pipeline. Grant King has said that no decision will be made about proceeding with that investment until it has completed building liquid gas facilities in Queensland.23 In regard to small scale solar, Origin has installed panels for 70,000 Australian homes since offering solar systems in 2002.24 Origin used its retail arm to develop a strong presence in the space, and it dominated the solar market up until 2010, when it reached the position of #1 installer in Australia producing around 34 MW of energy.25 But, in spite of great success in solar, the company has gone quiet about it intentions to expand this component of its business recently falling out of the top ten list of solar installers. In fact, when solar has been mentioned, it has been to disparage it, with Mr King recently stating that solar has, in my view, had a terrible impact on consumers and has been overstimulated by feed-in tariffs. Its just wrong and a consequence of poor policy.26 In addition Origin has walked away from one of its only major investments in emerging technology writing down its 50% investment by $134 million in its Sliver Cell technology project.27

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

For whatever reason, [Origins] just not contracting. Unless they start contracting, you just simply cant get the finance...to build these projects. Andrew Richards, Pacific Hydro28

Australias renewable energy developers may have to learn to be a little more patient. The market for renewable energy certificates remains in deep surplus, and the major utilities appear in no urgency to commission new projects. RenewEconomy29

BUILD OUT DELAY: REFUSING POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Potentially more damaging than Origins lack of investment in its own renewable energy projects, however, has been its unwillingness to issue power purchase agreements for other project developers.
A power purchase agreement is a contract between an energy generator and a retailer to ensure that developers of renewable projects have a guaranteed customer for the energy they produce. These are essential to the financial viability of most projects and to making the economics of a project stack up. Over the last three to four years when the market experienced an oversupply of renewable energy certificates, Origin (and other major energy retailers) bought up big. They have since been sitting on these certificates, and using them to meet their obligations under the RET, but making no moves to enter negotiations with other project developers for new projects. In 2012 the renewables market learnt that Origin Energy held enough [renewable energy certificates] to last to the 2015/16 financial year. Six months ago, the company said it was acquitted to around 2014/15, raising hopes that the utilities would be soon forced to market to negotiate contracts with clean energy developers30 but this has not unfolded. Pacific Hydro, a renewable energy company based in Melbourne, has outlined the challenges it has had in gaining a power purchase agreement with large energy utilities, including Origin Energy, with the companys Executive Manager of Corporate Affairs, indicating the energy giant has managed to [halt] the signing of long-term power purchase agreements with wind and other renewable energy suppliers, in effect blocking developers from securing loans for new projects.31 Infigen, another renewable energy generator, has said that although there are some power purchase agreements available from Origin, they are at prices which are unsustainable and thus unaffordable.32 The issues around energy retailers not providing power purchase agreements to renewable energy generators has led to questions of anti-competitiveness, with Leader of the Greens Party, Christine Milne, writing to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2012 to ask that they examine claims that the major power companies, including Origin, were using their market power to hinder the roll-out of wind and solar projects.33 The lack of willingness to issue power purchase agreements has cause significant consternation in the renewable energy industry. Without power purchase agreements, renewable energy projects are unable to be developed, leaving a situation in which a large amount of capacity will need to be built in a very short period of time if Australia is to meet the 2020 target. We can therefore see Origin Energy is playing a giant game of chicken. It is using its market power to delay investments, its public profile to blame delays on the sector and spread misinformation about costs, and its lobbying power to then use delays and cost as justification to try and wind Australias most effective policy back. And all this in the interests of its massive gas investments.

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

10

WHY ORIGIN NEEDS TO STOP BLOCKING AND START BUILDING:

THE CASE FOR INCREASING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET

Renewable Energy just makes sense. We have so much sun and wind, we should be using it to power our homes and schools and factories. We should be increasing our renewable goals not cutting them back. Lets get on with it. Kate Read, Origin energy customer, Sydney THE RET IS WORKING AND BRINGING DOWN WHOLESALE POWER PRICES
Despite continual undermining from the fossil fuel industry, the RET has already proved itself highly successful. To date some 25,000 jobs have been generated through projects supported by the target, and more than $20 billion in private investment in household and large-scale renewable energy has occurred since it was established.34
For the towns and communities where projects are being developed, this brings new jobs and a revitalisation of regional economics. The RET has also helped 2.5 million Australians install solar panels on their roof and take back control of spiralling power bills. In addition, renewable energy investments are now widely understood to be reducing wholesale power prices, without which domestic consumer power bills would be measurably higher.35 One example of this is South Australia, where the state boasts nearly 30% of its energy generation from renewable resources. There families have enjoyed electricity costs being reduced by nearly $100 from 2009 to 2011.36 And the SA grid operator has been able to avoid $167 million of expensive grid upgrades. South Australia is now tracking towards 50% of its energy generation coming from renewable sources.37

AUSTRALIA CANT AFFORD TO BE LEFT BEHIND

While Origin Energy is pushing for Australias target to be wound back, countries around the world are racing ahead. Germany, with 20% of its energy production generated from renewables in 2011, and 400,000 new jobs created nationally, is often cited as a leading example.38 However, dozens of other countries have also set ambitious agendas for investment in renewable energy. In total, nearly 70 countries have renewable energy targets, including Sweden which boasts a RET of 60% by 2010; and the Philippines are looking towards 100% renewables by 2050.39
According to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, renewables are on track to be competitive with fossil fuels in coming decades.40 And the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have all called for more investment in renewable energy. Even recent modelling by Australias Energy Market operator shows that 100% renewable energy by 2030 is entirely achievable, with supporting studies demonstrating this will cost no more than business as usual.41 Should the Australian government listen to Origin Energy and wind back the Renewable Energy Target, Australia risks being locked into a high cost, high polluting fossil fuel future, with substantial stranded assets, and missed opportunities in renewable energy investment. All this raises the question why are we not aiming higher?

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

11

AUSTRALIANS LOVE RENEWABLE ENERGY

Overwhelmingly, Australians support the transition to renewable energy, with survey after survey showing at least 7080% of energy customers support greater amounts of clean energy.42 This includes research completed by the CSIRO, which found strong support for increasing research and development into renewable energy,43 and by Essential Media and Communication, which found that more than threequarters of respondents are in favour of Government assistance and support for... renewable energy industries.44
A recent report, published by The Climate Institute, indicated 69% of Australians currently think the Renewable Energy Target is about right, or should be higher, and 40% of Australians believe the target should be higher.45 Community members are enthusiastically embracing rooftop solar. And now local community groups across the country are hard at work putting together plans to build community owned wind and solar projects. These levels of public support for renewable energy demonstrate a significant risk to Origin Energy. At present public awareness of Origins efforts to strangle renewable energy are not well understood. However a significant consumer backlash and abandonment by thousands of customers is possible as Origins role undermining wind and solar is revealed. Already levels of trust in our energy providers are low. If Origin wants to avoid a significant loss of its customer base it will need to demonstrate to the public how it is backing, not blocking renewable energy.

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

12

CONCLUSION

This report has demonstrated the myriad ways that Origin Energy is trying to strangle renewable energy in Australia. Origin has under-invested in its own renewable portfolio, blocked other companies projects from going ahead, and run a very public campaign against the renewable energy target.

However, this strategy is a huge gamble for Origin. Renewable energy is increasingly cost competitive with fossil fuels, lowering wholesale power prices and cleaning up our energy supply. It is widely loved by Australians across the nation who can see that using the sun and wind to power our homes just makes sense.
It is now time for Origin to give up its game. Origin needs to recognise that investing in old technology will leave the company behind, and it is time to jump on the wave of renewable energy prosperity set to roll over our nation and the world. Should they not change their tune, community groups and energy customers will increasingly call out Origins actions for what they actually are a desperate attempt to strangle renewable energy growth to maintain a profit from dying technologies. The Australian government must resist Origins push to wind back the Renewable Energy Target, and Origin needs to hear loud and clear: the community wants wind and solar stop blocking and start backing...

Strangling Renewables: Origin Energys Campaign Against Renewable Energy

13

ENDNOTES
1. Parkinson, G., Origin of the energy species: Will our utilities every evolve?, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2013/origin-of-the-energy-species-when-will-our-utilities-evolve-17405 2. Ernst & Young, Australia, Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index [Issue 37], p. 31, 2013. 3. Wind and solar power statistics, facts and trivia, Energy Matters [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/solarwind-trivia.php 4. McCrone, A. , Usher, E., et al, Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2013, June 2013. 5. International Energy Agency, Renewable Energy Medium-Term Market Report: Market and Projections to 2018, 2013. 6. Ernst & Young, Index Highlights, Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.ey.com/UK/en/Industries/Cleantech/ Renewable-Energy-Country-Attractiveness-Index---Index-highlights 7. Pearson, R. Whats the Problem with Origin?, The Motley Fool, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.fool.com.au/2012/10/25/whats-theproblem-with-origin/ 8. Australian Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act, 2000. Available at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00237 9. Parliament of Australia, Mandatory Reneawble Energy Target, 2010 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/ Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/ ClimateChange/Governance/Domestic/national/Mandatory 10. Australian Government: Climate Change Authority, RET Report, 2012. 11. Martin, J., Origin Energy: Reduce the Renewanble Energy Target, Solar Choice, 2012 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.solarchoice.net.au/ blog/origin-energy-ceo-cut-the-renewable-energy-target/ 12. Manning, P, GreenPower puts the power back in your hip pocket, Sydney Morning Herald, 2011 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/ business/greenpower-puts-the-power-back-in-your-hip-pocket-201102111aqpb.html 13. Parkinson, G., Origin still unhappy with renewables ruling and target, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2013/origin-still-unhappy-about-renewables-ruling-and-target-52275 14. ibid. 15. Parkinson, G., Interview: Origin Energy CEO Grant King, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/intervieworigin-energy-ceo-grant-king-61027 16. Edis, T., Origins opportunistic RET resistance, Business Spectator, 2013,[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/ article/2012/5/3/smart-energy/origins-opportunistic-ret-resistance 17. Hannam, P. and Robins, B., More pain to come on power prices, Sydney Morning Herald, 2013 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smh. com.au/business/more-pain-to-come-on-power-prices-20130318-2gb4c. html#ixzz2hGkl3K5s 18. Arup, T. Call to cut renewables target rejected, Sydney Morning Herald, 2012 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/call-to-cutrenewables-target-rejected-20121026-289ug.html 19. Clean Energy Council, Solar PV Fact Sheets, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resourcecentre/Consumer-Info/solarfact-sheets.html 20. ibid. 21. ibid. 22. Origin, Renewable Energy Investments, 2013 [ONLINE], Available at: http://www.originenergy.com.au/renewablegeneration 23. Parkinson, G., Origin Energy says solar PV business contracting, but margins lifting, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/origin-energy-says-solar-pv-businesscontracting-but-margins-lifting 24. Origin, Go Solar with Origin, 2013 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.originenergy.com.au/174/Solar-power 25. Morris, N. The mystery of Origin Solar, Climate Spectator, 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/12/solarenergy/mystery-origin-solar 26. Dagge, J., Origin Energy Chief Grant King blames rising power prices on poor policy, Herald Sun, 2013 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.heraldsun. com.au/business/origin-energy-chief-grant-king-blames-rising-power-priceson-poor-policy/story-fni0dcne-1226654809213 27. Vorrath, S., Origin Energy Closes Sliver Solar Factory, flags writedown, RenewEconomy, 2012 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.heraldsun.com. au/business/origin-energy-chief-grant-king-blames-rising-power-prices-onpoor-policy/story-fni0dcne-1226654809213 28. Hannam, P., Renewables future at mercy of big power companies, BusinessDay, 2013 [ONLINE], Available at: http://www.businessday.com. au/business/carbon-economy/renewables-future-at-mercy-of-big-powerretailers-20130402-2h4ki.html 29. Parkinson, G., Clean energy projects could face yet more delays, RenewEconomy, 2012 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2012/clean-energy-projects-could-face-yet-more-delays-44997 30. Parkinson, G., Clean energy projects could face yet more delays, RenewEconomy, 2012 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2012/clean-energy-projects-could-face-yet-more-delays-44997 31. Hannam, P., Renewables future at mercy of big power companies, BusinessDay, 2013 [ONLINE], Available at: http://www.businessday.com. au/business/carbon-economy/renewables-future-at-mercy-of-big-powerretailers-20130402-2h4ki.html 32. Hannam, P., Renewables future at mercy of big power companies, BusinessDay, 2013 [ONLINE], Available at: http://www.businessday.com. au/business/carbon-economy/renewables-future-at-mercy-of-big-powerretailers-20130402-2h4ki.html 33. Wrote, D., Electricity giant accused of blocking green power, Sydney Morning Herald, 2012 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/ federal-politics/political-news/electricity-giants-accused-of-blocking-greenpower-20120410-1wn17.html#ixzz2hGmgC783 34. ibid. 35. Parkinson, G., Origin of our energy species: Will our utilities every evolve?, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2013/origin-of-the-energy-species-when-will-our-utilities-evolve-17405 36. Parkinson, G., South Australias Perfect Energy Mix: Cleaner, greener, cheaper, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http:// reneweconomy.com.au/2013/south-australias-perfect-energy-mix-cleanergreener-cheaper-34979 37. Parkinson, G., South Australia heads to 50% Renewables within a Decade, RenewEconomy, 2013 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://reneweconomy.com. au/2013/south-australia-heads-to-50-renewables-within-a-decade-21296 38. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Development of renewable energy sources in Germany 2011, 2012 [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/fileadmin/ Daten_EE/Bilder_Startseite/Bilder_Datenservice/PDFs__XLS/20130110_ EEiZIU_E_PPT_2011_FIN.pdf 39. REN21. 2008. Renewables 2007 Global Status Report (Paris: REN21 Secretariat and Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute). Copyright 2008 Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH. 40. Manning, P., Origin attacks renewable energy target, BusinessDay, 2012 [ONLINE], Available at: http://www.businessday.com.au/business/originattacks-renewable-energy-target-20120502-1xyhm.html 41. ibid. 42. Galacho, O., We want cleaner energy but not if its pricey, Australian Financial Review, 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.afr.com/p/special_reports/sustainable_business/we_want_ cleaner_energy_but_not_if_eZqX0J2uRFhitdNgFVT3dK 43. Ashworth, P., Jeanneret, T., Gardner, J. & & Hylton Shaw, Communication and climate change: What the Australian public thinks, 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.csiro.au/files/files/p11fh.pdf 44. Essential Media and Communications, Government support for industries, 2012 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.essentialmedia.com.au/government-support-for-industries/ 45. The Climate Institute, Climate of the Nation 2013: Australian attitudes on climate change, 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.climateinstitute. org.au/verve/_resources/TCI_ClimateOfTheNation2013_web.pdf

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