The energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor is moving to expand the mandate of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) to allow it to fund carbon capture and storage projects, and hydrogen that can be produced from fossil fuels.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, says they will be moving to disallow the regulations, saying it will funnel public money to big coal and gas corporations, and could also be a breach of the Arena Act, which made clear the agency’s function was to fund renewable technology.