TINY SPEND ON 'EMERGING ENERGY' WON'T FIX NSW GOVT'S LACK OF CREDIBLE ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION

The NSW Government has today launched an Emerging Energy Fund that promises $55 million for gas and renewable energy, a figure the Greens have slammed as totally inadequate and  lacking the ambition needed to transition NSW towards 100% renewable energy.
The $55 million is totally insufficient when you consider the NSW Government:
*         Received $37 billion from privatising the state's electricity assets since their election;
*         Received $4.1 billion for the transfer of Snowy Hydro to the federal government;
*         Underspent the NSW Climate Change Fund by $252 million between $2014-17;

*         Gave $70 million to the Greyhound racing industry;
*         Spent $87 million on advertising; and
*         Gave $100 million to the horse racing industry as a tax break. The Emerging Energy Program represents just 0.14% of the $37 billion the government reaped from selling off public energy assets.

Greens Energy and Climate Action spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham labelled the Emerging Energy Fund nothing more than a fig leaf announcement that barely covered the fact NSW remained without a genuine, effective energy or emissions reduction policy.
"This is a damp squib of an energy policy from a Liberal/National Government that has neglected renewable energy and climate change for seven and a half years," he said today.
"The community would recognise that $55 million is a drop in the ocean for the energy-system restructure that is underway and will not stop NSW from lagging behind other states on renewable energy.
"It's just 0.14% of the $37 billion the government has reaped from selling off energy assets in NSW. It's also miserly when you consider they underspent the climate change fund to the tune of $252.9 million between 2014-17.