MEDIA RELEASE
30 April 2010
Conference to bring clean energy world to Adelaide
NATIONAL: Adelaide will host the biggest renewable energy conference in Australia’s history this Monday as
more than 700 delegates gather to prepare for a multi-billion dollar expansion of the clean energy industry over
the next decade.
Clean Energy Council chief executive Matthew Warren said the South Australian Government was a national
leader in encouraging the development of renewable energy, making Adelaide an ideal host city for the
conference.
“Renewable energy remains the most successful climate change solution in Australia today,” he said.
“Developing affordable and reliable clean energy is one of the most effective ways of preparing the economy
for a future constraint on greenhouse emissions.”
Measures to develop and expand renewable energy in Australia have strong public support and the backing of
the major political parties as an affordable and tangible investment in a cleaner energy future.
The Coalition introduced the first renewable energy target in 2001 and this was expanded to 20 per cent of
Australia’s stationary energy by 2020 by the Rudd Government last year, with Coalition support.
Legislation to improve the operation of this expanded target is due into Federal Parliament in the coming
weeks. If passed, this will unleash more than $20 billion of new clean energy investment and thousands of
new jobs across regional Australia.
Reflecting this bi-partisan support, South Australian Premier Mike Rann will open the conference, with
contributions by Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and Shadow Resources and Energy Minister Ian
Macfarlane.
The conference has attracted leading national and international speakers including AGL Chief Executive
Michael Fraser, the new Chief Executive of the Australian Carbon Trust, Meg Macdonald, Secretary
General of the Global Wind Energy Council, Steve Sawyer, Mark Lewis from Deutsche Bank’s Global
Carbon Markets division in Paris and Seb Henbest from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
South Australian Premier Mike Rann said the state had seen almost $2 billion in private wind energy
investment since his government took office in 2002.
“With the investment projected to be delivered in clean energy over the next decade, there are incredible
opportunities for companies in this industry. Australia will generate 20 per cent of its energy from renewable
sources by 2020, while in South Australia we have increased our own target to 33 per cent.
“I look forward to welcoming the clean energy industry to Adelaide and meeting some of the international
leaders who will be travelling to Australian for this conference,” Mr Rann said.
The Clean Energy Council conference runs from May 3-5 at the Adelaide Convention and Exhibition Centre.
For media enquiries please call Mark Bretherton 0413 556 981 or 03 9929 4111
The Clean Energy Council is the peak body for the clean energy sector. It is working with all Australian
governments to drive the development of clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro,
wave, bioenergy and cogeneration.
Suite 201, 18 Kavanagh Street, Southbank 3006, Australia
E
info@cleanenergycouncil.org.au
T
+61 3 9929 4100
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