George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

The range estimated under the National Energy Guarantee for renewables is in the range of 28 per cent to 36 per cent. It is expressed as a range. It's a range in which you shouldn't—if I may say so, with respect—take the bottom figure, because it is expressed as a range. It is, in fact, up to 36 per cent. Senator Di Natale, the reason we express the range in that way is that there needs to be flexibility in the mix over the years, because these figures are projected up to 2030.

What I can predict here is that renewables will be, as we both know, a growing proportion of the national energy mix. But it is also the case that coal and other carbon based sources will also continue to be a significant part of the national energy mix because we are preoccupied with two objectives and two objects above all others—they are, to have the price to consumers as low as possible and to have supply as reliable as possible. The reduction in the price to consumers under the National Energy Guarantee is projected to be between $110 to $115 to the average household per annum. Under Dr Finkel's plan, it was projected to be approximately $90 per annum. So consumers will save more under the government's National Energy Guarantee while, at the same time, they can be confident of the reliability of supply and also confident that we will keep our Paris targets.