Abbott’s war on wind energy in Australia

Labor has lashed out at a government decision to instruct the Clean Energy Finance Corporation not to fund wind power projects, dubbing it Tony Abbott’s ‘war on wind farms’.

The $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation has been ordered to focus on new technologies instead of wind farms, under a revised mandate drafted by the government.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt has denied claims he was left out of the decision to ban investment in wind farms.

Speaking to Sky News Mr Hunt said he was engaged throughout the decision-making process and supports the ban, and that large scale solar energy is the original reason for the CEFC.

‘I support the position of focusing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation on its original mandate of supporting large scale solar, energy efficiency and emerging technologies,’ he said.

The federal government’s investment ban on wind energy has also been extended to solar, Labor says.

Besides the restriction on rooftop solar energy, a second revision of the government’s directive to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation also includes an order for the so-called green bank to increase its rate of return.

‘The government is effectively blood-letting the CEFC since its attempts to abolish it have been fruitless,’ opposition climate spokesman Mark Butler said in a statement.