Solar Flagship Program

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Christine Milne. This means that it was unsuccessful. The motion was:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

_(i) that United States of America company, First Solar, has signed a memorandum of understanding to build a 2GW solar power station in China and that this single plant will be eight times larger than projects called for by the Solar Flagship Program (the program),_ (ii) that the program depends for success on significant levels of private sector capital, _(iii) that the global financial crisis is exacerbating difficulties Australian companies are experiencing in accessing private sector capital for innovative renewable technologies,_ _(iv) that, in Australia, Solar Systems has gone into voluntary administration because of a lack of investment capital, and_ (v) the lack of a comprehensive or coherent policy framework to encourage private sector investment in renewable energy; and (b) calls on the Government to underpin the success of the program by: (i) providing loan guarantees for commercial-scale demonstration projects, (ii) implementing a gross national feed-in tariff for small to utility scale renewable energy projects, and (iii) planning and funding electricity grid extensions to connect remote utility scale projects.