Australia is rich in renewable energy resources and is a world leader in the development of some renewable energy technologies. However, with the exception of hydro-electricity, Australia's renewable energy resources lay largely untapped. This paper presents a review of the status and prospects of Australia's renewable energy industries and resource base. Over the last few years, much has happened to further the development of renewable energy in Australia. Green Power schemes, a mandatory 2% Renewables Measure and a number of other measures have provided the impetus for strong growth in solar, wind and biomass industries. Government grants are supporting the development of new projects in geothermal, tidal, wave, wind, solar thermal, photovoltaics, biomass, waste-to-energy and supporting industries. These initiatives are discussed and problem areas are explored. Key areas of contention include which energy technologies benefit from the different support measures, how the different support measures interrelate with one another and the impact of different State policies on an industry that competes across State boundaries.
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