Countries Going "Green"

it varies from state to state too though. I know in some other states there are no incentives for producing power with solar panels on residences. Here in the ACT, for a while, they wanted to make it as available as possible so that more power was produced with solar panels, that could then be sold through the utility, reducing the need for the utility to source power from somewhere else (and in Aus, thats mostly from coal)
I design new homes, and in some estates you are forced to provide solar hot water systems and rain water tanks up to 8,000 litres just to get your design approved for construction. I dont know of any other state in Aus that does that.
Our reliance though on coal for power wont be ending any time soon though...

I guess Australia doesn't exactly scream hydro-electricity!
Still seems a little strange that power pricing (according to all the ex-pat Kiwis) is so much cheaper in Oz when coal (which needs to be dug up and shipped etc) is the main power source. Here we just need rainfall (abundant most years) and the infrastructure was paid for years ago, yet we are subjected to constant price increases. Go the free market!

could have to do with your population too though, much smaller market. Here, coal is big business, its cheap (for us) and the population sustains it when we consume so much power as a nation. We do have a hydroelectric system in place..but unlike our cousins across the ditch, we dont get as much rainfall lol
power prices have gone up here too, I hear alot of people complaining about it and the constant increases from year on year too. We just have alternatives...at least where I live