For the 2013–14 regulatory year the AER has approved Ergon Energy’s proposed pass through of $135 million associated with the Queensland Government solar bonus scheme. Solar uptake has significantly exceeded expectations for the past three years.
Owners of solar panels are paid by retailers for electricity they supply into the distribution grid. Retailers recover these payments from the relevant distributor (Ergon Energy in this case).
However, under Queensland’s uniform tariff policy the pass through amount does not impact on customers. Rather, Ergon Energy customers pay retail electricity prices equivalent to those paid by customers of urban distributor Energex.