The Executive Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria recognises the significance of the Independent Review prepared for the Federal Government by Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel and his expert panel on the future security of Australia’s electricity market. The Review’s report recommendations provide a blueprint for introducing security, reliability and emission abatement into a policy area that has been recognised Australia-wide as lacking national direction. The urgency of dealing with energy supply issues in the face of human-induced climate change has now been recognised by virtually all other countries.

The Executive acknowledges that there will be legitimate public debate over the relative merits of a Clean Energy Target, as distinct from other approaches, and over the role of coal in the energy mix. Nevertheless, the Finkel Review provides a means of breaking an entrenched political deadlock which has reduced investment and stifled development in this country, even though it possesses significant sources of renewable energy.

The Executive commends the leadership displayed by Dr Finkel, who is also one of the Royal Society of Victoria’s Trustees, in the development, execution and dissemination of this review.

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