E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SUNRISE
THURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2018
 
SUBJECT/S: Labor’s plan for more renewable energy and cheaper power.

DAVID KOCH, HOST: Labor has announced details of it's long awaited energy policy. Bill Shorten is looking to keep Malcolm Turnbull's National Energy Guarantee but with a higher emissions reduction target. The plan also includes targets for Aussie homes, Labor wants one million household battery installations by 2025. To help achieve that there would be a $2000 rebate from 2020 for households on incomes of less than $180,000 per year, to help them fund the purchase and installation. 
 
Labor Leader Bill Shorten joins me now. Alright, big question from most households $2000 bucks back, how much does it cost to put in the batteries and the solars?
 
BILL SHORTEN, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Battery packages can cost between $3000 and north of $10,000. They're getting cheaper every day, our incentive is not designed to pay for the whole production, people have got to make an effort themselves. We just want to put a bit of incentive so that people can get on with the renewables revolution. 

Batteries are the energy source of the future - solar do you know, in the next couple of weeks they'll be two million Australian households which have got solar on their roofs. Let's get the batteries so it can work 24 hours a day.
 
KOCH: So even though conservative politicians bag renewables, the actual Australian public is adopting it.
 
SHORTEN: Let's say it as it is, the Australian people are so far ahead of the politicians on renewable energy it's not a joke but what I am going to do if we get elected is we're backing renewables, we're backing the batteries, we want people to get between a 60 and 90 per cent reduction off their household bills. That's what you get over the lifetime of installing batteries and solar. 
 
KOCH: Okay so you put the $3000 to $10,000 battery in, you get $2000 back but it will cut your power bill by 80 to 90 per cent?
 
SHORTEN: Well all of the research we've seen and the evidence - between 60 and 90 per cent, I mean you heard that right. I don't own shares in a battery company or a solar company, I'm just interested in getting household power bills down. I mean they're just out of control, it drives people nuts. You get your fortnightly pay and then you get every two months you get the power bill - out of control, batteries it's the way to go.
 
KOCH: Interesting policy. Alright Bill Shorten, thanks for joining us.
 
ENDS