Australia's lower house passes law on renewables agency

An Australian statutory body to manage the federal government’s renewable energy programs has been given the green light in the lower house. Draft laws for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) are designed to centralize the administration of A$3.2 billion (US$3.30 billion) worth of support for renewable energy projects, which are now managed by a range of organizations. Solar, biomass, biofuels, ocean and geothermal projects are expected to come under ARENA’s jurisdiction, as the government seeks to achieve its target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. The opposition backed better governance for renewable energy projects but would not necessarily support the individual programs managed by the body. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency Bill 2011 and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2011 passed the lower house on November 2. The bills will now go to the Senate for consideration. (November 2, 2011)