The decision by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to adopt a resolution calling for the shift to renewable energy and energy efficiency to be a key political priority in parliaments around the world, at an International Parliamentary Forum in Bonn, Germany (overnight Australian time) is groundbreaking, said Greens Senator Bob Brown.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane's dismissal of renewable energy and energy efficiency as 'neither practical nor affordable' at the Coal Plan launch demonstrates a government badly out of touch with modern clean energy technologies around the world, Greens Senator Bob Brown said today.

"Minister Macfarlane's claim that replacing 20% of coal-fired electricity with renewable energy would cost $340 billion is ludicrous – it could be done for nothing with energy efficiency (reducing waste of electricity)," Senator Brown said.

 The recommendations of the Tambling Review of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme, released today, are even worse than expected, Greens' Senator Bob Brown said in Hobart. "What started out as a scheme to generate an extra 2% of renewable electricity by 2010 would barely deliver 2% by 2020 if the Review's recommendations are accepted."Australia will fall even further behind in research, industry development and jobs in renewable energy, leaving the field clear for greenhouse-polluting coal fired electricity and its favoured option of geosequestration."The Review recognises t

Flaws in the federal government's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme have given Hydro Tasmania unearned income of up to $20 million in the first two years of the scheme, and the windfall could total more than $200 million by 2010, said Greens Senator Bob Brown in Hobart today.

The estimates are contained in a new Greens' report, Power Without Purpose, Tasmania's Energy Glut, which shows Hydro Tasmania is using windfall MRET income to help finance Basslink, wind farms and upgrades of its hydro dams.

The Howard government has de-funded the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Renewable Energy and instead given another $68.5 million to the mining industry in today's announcement of new CRCs.

The closure of the Renewable Energy CRC in June 2003 is a tragedy for Australia, marking the end of specific government support for research into renewable energy, especially solar power including solar panels and solar hot water, Greens Senator Bob Brown said today.

Greens Senator Bob Brown today called for the government to allocate $46.0 million to the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Renewable Energy when it announces the new round of CRC funding, expected later this week.

"Forty-six million would bring the Renewable Energy CRC into line with existing grants for fossil fuel research, funded through the three CRCs for Petroleum, Lignite (brown coal) and Coal.

"Unless its funding is renewed -- and, to date the government is silent -- the CRC for Renewable Energy will run out of money in June 2003 and close down.

Greens Senator Bob Brown will move amendments in the Senate today to stop native forest residues being burnt for renewable energy. Further Greens amendments seek to increase the renewable energy target from the current 2% target to 10%.

"When the Renewable Energy Act was passed in 2000 there was a fatal flaw in the legislation that allowed the burning of native forest residues to be included as a renewable energy source," Senator Brown said.

Greens Senator Bob Brown today called for the government to allocate $46.0 million to the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Renewable Energy when it announces the new round of CRC funding, expected later this week.

"Forty-six million would bring the Renewable Energy CRC into line with existing grants for fossil fuel research, funded through the three CRCs for Petroleum, Lignite (brown coal) and Coal.

"Unless its funding is renewed -- and, to date the government is silent -- the CRC for Renewable Energy will run out of money in June 2003 and close down.

Greens Senator Bob Brown says he will move an amendment to close a loophole allowing millions to be siphoned away from new clean, green energy projects in Australia.

"Hydro electric producers are rorting the intention of the system so that new clean, green energy projects like solar and wind are being starved of the very funds which were intended for them," Senator Brown said.

Greens Senator Bob Brown will move in the Senate this week to disallow sections of the Government's renewable energy regulations that discriminate against Tasmanians and will encourage native forest woodchips to be burnt for electricity.

"The regulations allow for renewable energy certificates to be created by installing solar water heaters. Such certificates could effectively cut the price of solar hot waters by between $200-600," Senator Brown said.