Such expensive power. And all for zero good The costs of merely seeming to do something about the globe's temperature is horrendous. Alan Moran is right - scrap the renewable energy target: Labor's budgetary expenditure on emission restraints was about $4bn a year. The Coalition's average annual spending, including $800 million on direct action, looks to be below $2bn. Renewable energy requirements for electricity supply have been around since 2001. Through the years the mandatory share has been expanded and is scheduled to ramp up to a notional 20 per cent of supply by 2020. Aside from about 15,000GWh of commercial hydro, the 2020 target is defined as 45,000GWh of subsidised electricity comprising 4000GWh for rooftop solar facilities and 41,000GWh for larger facilities, mainly wind farms. Overall, renewable requirements add about 40 per cent to the wholesale electricity cost. Wind generation costs are at least $100 a megawatt hour, compared with less than $40 a megawatt hour for coal, the predominant source of electricity. There are also higher network and back-up costs. Rooftop solar facilities are cheaper and receive less favourable regulatory treatment. Nonetheless, their electricity-generating costs and grid connections, subsidised by commercial electricity generators, makes rooftop solar at least five times more expensive than coal. Progression to the annual target of 45,000GWh would involve a consumer subsidy to renewables rising year by year to $5bn a year by 2020. By then the renewable program would have imposed a total cost of $23bn. And, because the subsidy is for the 15-year life of each facility (solar rooftop installations receive this subsidy upfront), the annual cost will continue to increase after 2020 before gradually tapering. Again, remember that these billions of dollars don't actually cut the world's temperature by anything measurable. So why this spending? The Canadian Government applauds what Labor is trying to stop: Canada applauds the decision by Prime Minister Abbott to introduce legislation to repeal Australia's carbon tax. The Australian Prime Minister's decision will be noticed around the world and sends an important message. Our government knows that carbon taxes raise the price of everything, including gas, groceries, and electricity.