This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Climate, energy & environment
Home batteries would become eligible for the same certificate incentive that already helps cut upfront costs for small solar and other renewable systems.
Home batteries were left out of the small-scale certificate scheme even though they are prohibitively expensive and only 1.3% of households had installed one. The bill lets home batteries earn the same certificates as small solar systems, cutting upfront costs and aiming to lift battery take-up.
By 2023, the Small-scale Renewable Energy SchemeThe federal program that gives certificates for eligible small renewable systems, which the bill would extend to home batteries. was already cutting the upfront cost of solar and other small renewable systems and had helped drive rooftop solar into about one-third of Australian homes, but home batteries were still excluded even as power bills and other household costs climbed. The bill responded by proposing the same certificate discount for batteries to lower purchase prices and lift take-up, while later budget measures turned instead to cheap loans and the bill itself was ultimately removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. without becoming law.
The main case against the bill is that a battery subsidy can become expensive fast, distort demand and force later rule changes if take-up is much stronger than forecast. No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, so the criticism recorded here is mostly a later implementation and cost concern raised by analysts, commentators and battery installers rather than broad parliamentary opposition.
Helen Haines MPAn elected parliamentarian; the bill papers note that Dr Helen Haines was the member for Indi. introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from some crossbench members.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
232 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Home batteries would become eligible for the same certificate incentive that already helps cut upfront costs for small solar and other renewable systems.
Home battery owners could hand their certificates to an installer or other agent so the value can be taken off the purchase price.
Only home batteries installed by 31 December 2030 could get certificates, and each battery would have to claim them once within 12 months of installation.
The number of certificates for a home battery would depend on how much electricity it is expected to discharge each year and a set number of years, with the technical details left to regulations.
The Minister would have to start a review between four years after commencement and 1 July 2029, with a final report due within six months after the review begins.
This Bill amends the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 to add home batteries as an eligible technology to create small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) explanatory memorandum
This is consistent with the existing legislation governing the creation of certificates under other eligible technologies under the SRES. The purpose of this clause is to allow the owner of a battery to transfer the right to create certificates to the installer of the home battery to reduce the effective installation cost of the battery.Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) explanatory memorandum
As in the existing scheme, home batteries can only create STCs if they are installed by 2030. Home batteries must create STCs within 12 months of installation and can only create certificates once, for the duration of their deeming rate.Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) explanatory memorandum
This Bill would retain the existing legislative architecture for the creation and transfer of STCs, simply extending it to home batteries. The ‘deeming rate’, the period for which a home battery can create certificates is set at 15 years, until 2027 at which point it is calculated as the number of years until 2041. The number of certificates a home battery can create each year is determined by the megawatt hours of electricity it will discharge over the course of a year, as set out in regulation.Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) explanatory memorandum
The review must commence no sooner than 4 years after the commencement of the bill, and no later than 1 July 2029. It must involve public consultation, the final review must be handed to the Minister within 6 months after commencing the review.Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) explanatory memorandum
Context
By 2023, the Small-scale Renewable Energy SchemeThe federal program that gives certificates for eligible small renewable systems, which the bill would extend to home batteries. was already cutting the upfront cost of solar and other small renewable systems and had helped drive rooftop solar into about one-third of Australian homes, but home batteries were still excluded even as power bills and other household costs climbed. The bill responded by proposing the same certificate discount for batteries to lower purchase prices and lift take-up, while later budget measures turned instead to cheap loans and the bill itself was ultimately removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. without becoming law.
Small-scale certificates were already boosting rooftop solar, but not home batteries
The explanatory memorandum said the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy SchemeThe federal program that gives certificates for eligible small renewable systems, which the bill would extend to home batteries. had helped push rooftop solar into around one-third of homes while batteries remained outside the certificate incentive.
Explanatory memorandum ↗Cheaper Home Batteries bill is introduced
The bill was introduced to let home batteries create small-scale technology certificatesTradeable certificates created when an eligible system is installed; in this bill, home batteries would create these certificates so the upfront price can be discounted. so households could assign them to installers and receive an upfront discount, as already happens with solar systems.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Power bill rises sharpened the push for cheaper home batteries
In the second reading speech, Helen Haines argued households facing rising living costs and power bills expected to jump 30 per cent by winter needed cheaper battery storage to cut energy costs.
Hansard ↗Federal budget backs cheap electrification loans instead of a battery rebate
The 2023 budget offered $1 billion in low-interest household electrification loans for upgrades including batteries, showing the government was supporting battery uptake through finance rather than this rebate model.
Australian Financial Review ↗Bill is removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing.
The parliamentary record shows the bill was removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. under standing order 42A parliamentary rule used here to remove the bill from the Notice Paper., ending its progress without the proposed battery certificate scheme being enacted.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill was removed from the House Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. under standing order 42A parliamentary rule used here to remove the bill from the Notice Paper., ending its recorded parliamentary progress.
Removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. in accordance with (SO 42)
Key criticism
The main case against the bill is that a battery subsidy can become expensive fast, distort demand and force later rule changes if take-up is much stronger than forecast. No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, so the criticism recorded here is mostly a later implementation and cost concern raised by analysts, commentators and battery installers rather than broad parliamentary opposition.
Criticism was limited and focused mainly on cost control and rollout effects, not the goal of cheaper batteries.
Budget blowout and cost to taxpayers
A major concern is that generous battery certificates could cost far more than expected if demand surges, leaving taxpayers to fund a much larger program or forcing the government to scale it back and rewrite the rules.
Short-term market disruption for installers
Another concern is that announcing a future subsidy can make households delay purchases until the rebate starts, causing a sales slump beforehand and creating cash-flow and planning problems for the installers expected to deliver the scheme.
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Haines supports the bill and says it should make home batteries cheaper so households can cut power bills, improve energy security, and reduce emissions.
Read in Hansard ↗Spender supports the bill and says cheaper home batteries will help households cut energy bills while speeding up electrification and emissions reductions.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“This bill will help households purchase a home battery. This means lower power bills, and huge savings for households.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I am delighted to second this motion and to speak in support of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) Bill 2023. I would like to commend the member for Indi for introducing this bill and for being a champion across this parliament and the previous government for home batteries, not only for the impact they can have on climate but also for the impact they can have on households in reducing energy costs.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
Removed from Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing.
The bill was removed from the House Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the House or Senate; if a bill is removed from it, the bill stops progressing. under standing order 42A parliamentary rule used here to remove the bill from the Notice Paper., ending its recorded parliamentary progress.
