THERE are enough renewable energy supporters to swing the votes for the seat of New England, a solar energy advocacy group claims.
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Solar Citizens released new research yesterday that revealed almost 20 per cent of voters in the electorate back renewable energy.
The report states almost 17,730 people of voting age live in homes powered by solar energy, compared to the near 18,679 needed to swing the seat in the last federal election.
“It’s not hard to do the maths on why that is a powerful constituency right there,” Solar Citizens national director Claire O’Rourke said.
“These people are average Australians who decide to back renewable energy by installing solar panels on their roofs. They do this because they know, in the long run, it will reduce their power bills and save the environment. They want to know their government backs renewable energy as well.”
A Solar Scorecard ranking of the political parties scored member for New England Barnaby Joyce’s coalition with dark clouds.
Independent candidate Tony Windsor, however, received three suns.
“He indicated, in writing, his support for 100 per cent renewable power by 2030, a national fair price for solar, support for a Community Powerhouses Fund, and also that he would protect the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA,” Ms O’Rourke said.
The Solar Scorecard analysis was compiled using detailed postcode data published by the Clean Energy Regulator and weighted in accordance with the AEC federal electoral boundary redistribution in 2015.