ELECTRIFICATION
The Electrification of Everything
with renewable energy and other smart energy systems by Nicolette Boele Electrification of Everything is the concerted effort to switch our lifestyles off fossil fuels and onto renewable energy. It transforms our households, our transport systems, our businesses, our industrial processes, farms and cities. The Smart Energy Council is strongly positioned to help accelerate EofE and is already making headway in the biggest opportunity of our generation: the renewablesled industrial revolution.
PICTURE THIS: a community that has replaced all its gas-fired household cooktops, water and space heating with efficient electric appliances; every available rooftop adorned with PVs; garages with affordable EVs that bi-directionally connect with the home and the grid; public housing and buildings retrofitted with clean, cheap and reliable energy systems, and battery storage packs too, benefitting residents and tenants. It’s a sublime scene in which smart technology connects homes with each other as well as businesses and the grid, where homes are net exporters of electricity and generate revenue from their rooftop solar power stations. And no more visits to smelly petrol stations! Bill shock is replaced with bill delight, the price of the sun tomorrow is still $0 irrespective of who’s fighting who here or anywhere else in the world. People living in these EofE homes and communities are healthier, wealthier and generally happier. What’s not to like? And more importantly, how can we accelerate this vision of a more perfect future? Happily, the wheels are already very much in motion.
Many voices, one GRAND design Many individuals and organisations are part of the exciting efficient renewable electrification effort. This includes government agencies in the states and territories, cities and in the Commonwealth.
“The social, economic and political environments have never been better to steer the direction and pace of change that we need to decarbonise our economy by electrifying everything and switching to renewable energy.”
46 SUMMER 2022
Examples are numerous and significant, including Victoria’s recently introduced Mandatory Storage Target and Queensland’s Super Grid (read more on pages 9 and 18). The ALP’s Powering the Nation plan addresses electrification as does its Rewiring the Nation; the Climate Change Act 2022 too sets the stage, ditto the National EV Strategy consultation paper (fuel emissions standards please!) and even a forthcoming National Energy Performance Strategy. Ducks in a row! The Commonwealth has committed the $20 billion required to upgrade the full eastern seaboard electricity grid to enable bi-directional charge across most of the network and connect our millions of household rooftop solar power stations. Peak bodies such as the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) are calling for renters and people on low incomes to have healthy homes and affordable energy bills; unions want safe, meaningful and decent work for members; and climate activists want stronger ambition for clean energy and climate policy and programs. Prominent engineer and inventor Saul Griffith and Independent Senator David Pocock continue to take every opportunity to present the case for electrification; both have developed models that demonstrate the indisputable and ubiquitous benefits to communities and the environment at large. Notably, research by Griffith’s Rewiring Australia found homes could save up to $5,000 a year in energy bills through full electrification with renewable energy. Before long the fixed cost to supply gas to a shrinking number of customers may tip the economics of gas supply for homes into oblivion.
For our part The Smart Energy Council is building a wellresourced and coordinated program of smart and bold public policy and legal advocacy, and is ensuring that this is underpinned by strategic public communications. Significantly, it was during the National EV Summit in August, co-hosted by the SEC, that Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced he would deliver a National EV Strategy including the tightening of fuel emissions standards that paves the way for an electric vehicle fleet – his first major policy announcement post the May 22 election win.
