Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 6:09:04 to 6:12:25
Discussion regarding the financial modeling and installation data underpinning the government's home battery program and its total expenditure over time.
Topics: Energy storage, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Sarah Henderson, Paul Johnson, Unknown Speaker
wanted to go back to Mr. Johnson on the modeling which underpins the so-called cheaper home batteries Um Mr. Johnson, thanks for your efforts to answer these questions directly. Uh can I just clarify with you the modeling that's been undertaken you've taken it on notice to provide that modeling. Does the estimate in the Fords in relation to the cheaper home batteries program support what the modeling
>> I believe so. Yes. I'm not familiar with the modeling. It was undertaken prior to my association with the program but I
>> Okay. Thank you. Uh so the 25 to the so just wanting to find out for this financial year how much of this financial year has been spent to
the expenditure to uh to the 27th of September is $677.5
And what's got what's the total expenditure over the life of the program? >> Is that is that changed at all from the 8.5 billion?
>> 8.5 billion.
>> So it's remaining at 8.5. Are you um confident that there won't need to be further changes to the program to keep it within the 8.5 billion? >> based on your work obviously.
Well, we are seeing the uh the level of installations fall and uh from last year's levels and we've seen the average size of batteries fall. The program does have the step downs every six months in um the level of uh assistance. Um it is something we continue to monitor working with the CE and um on the basis of that it's something we we'll continue to make judgments about.
So, Senator Smith asked about this program before lunch. The evidence was there was very little information about battery installations when the program was conceived prior to the 1st of May design change. Was the department getting adequate installation information from the clean energy
Uh yes. Uh prior to the start of the program in July of last year, there was no centralized um collection of data about batteries. We believe there were something like 300,000 batteries installed in Australia. um in the years prior to the 1st of July since the program has been established um in order to participate um people have to report when they apply for um assistance. So we've got very good data from the clean energy regulator. Um the clean energy regulator reports that data to us on a