Money Could your electricity bill get cheaper? Chief scientist to reveal energy plan for the future

Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel will today release his long awaited review of energy and climate change policy aiming to reduce pollution, cut power bills and end the bitter political fighting over the issue.

It’s understood the plan will include a clean energy target (CET) requiring retailers to buy a certain amount of their power from low emission sources, along with gas and so-called clean coal.

Coal fired power stations may escape penalty which is designed to ensure certainty for energy supply.

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“What is the point of asking the Chief Scientist of Australia to write a full report on climate change and energy , and then not follow the recommendations?” “What effect it has on electricity prices is pretty tricky to calculate,” he said. “It could lower prices but it may not. “You’ve got to keep in mind that

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News Corp reports the plan could cut electricity bills by hundreds of dollars by 2030.

The Coalition’s Christopher Pyne told the TODAY Show relief for households may come sooner.

“There will be effects from the recommendations of the Finkel report felt long before 2030, in fact felt almost immediately, if the Government and the opposition can work out a way forward where we end the 10 years of argument we've had about energy pricing.”

The business community has been calling on politicians to end the fighting over energy policy that has lasted for 10 years.

Some conservative Coalition MPs – including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott – are concerned about its impact on the coal industry and prices.

Labor says it has offered the Coalition an olive branch, indicating it may support a CET. But it wants a price on emissions – something the Government is unlikely to agree to.

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“We are prepared to be cooperative, get certainty into the system. An emissions intensity scheme is what should happen. Ideally that's what all the energy sector that's what all the economists say should happen,” Labor’s Anthony Albanese told the Nine Network.

“If the Government isn't prepared to do that, but comes up with a second-best option then we'll consider it in a constructive way.”

But the major parties are still bickering over who is responsible for soaring power bills.

Dr Finkel will deliver his report to the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers at their meeting in Hobart today.