Press conference at Parliament House, Canberra

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, as some in this building are divided and distracted the Albanese Government is getting on with the job of delivering what the Australian people instructed us to do in May this year. And today I've announced reforms for the Default Market Offer, which is the bench market off for energy prices to ensure that consumers are put first. There's a number of changes that we’ve announced today. I began this consultation in June and the conclusion is today. Changes to ensure that consumers are put first, that we have the most efficient Default Market Offer.

In some ways the most important change is the introduction of Solar Sharer. We’re a solar nation with 4.2 million houses with solar panels on their roofs. That means we have lots of electricity in the middle of the day and often electricity prices are negative in the middle of the day - energy companies are not paying for the power they provide in the middle of the day. So we will require, as part of the Default Market Offer in those states where it applies, energy companies to make that part of their offer under the DMO.

Think about a person working from home who is in the position where they can control their energy use and do more in the middle of the day, or a retired couple living at home who can put their washing machine or the dishwasher on knowing the power will be free. Or even someone who’s at work but has apps that control their devices, whether it be EV charging or their dishwasher, and can schedule that energy use for the middle of the day, knowing it’s free. This will also help the grid more broadly. As people move their demand to the middle of the day, to the degree that they do, that takes pressure off in the evening, means less use of coal and gas, our most expensive form of energy, and helps everyone. Of course people who have solar panels are huge beneficiaries and, increasingly, people who have batteries are huge beneficiaries. But we want to make sure that opportunity is available to all, not just those who have solar panels.

It starts, as I said, in the Default Market Offer states - New South Wales, South Australia, South-East Queensland. We’ll work with states and territories to expand it across the country as well.

This is not the answer to all the challenges in the energy grid, but it is a meaningful step forward, a material improvement, a chance to improve the opportunities for people to reduce their bills and put them in charge - put them in charge of their own energy use so they can manage their energy use to maximise their best interests, not the best interests of the energy companies.
Happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: Minister, electricity retails have said today that to the effect that there’s no such thing as a free lunch [indistinct]… they will incur the cost of even just delivering the power to people’s homes in that three-hour block. Can you there will be provisions in place that prevent people that choose to go on the Solar Sharer program paying charges over and above what is on standing their own.

CHRIS BOWEN: The good news is that the Australian Energy Regulator is going to regulate this and make sure that the energy companies comply with the best interests of the consumers. At the moment some already, AGL and a few others, already offer this service. That's great, I welcome that. But this gives consumers the peace of mind that the AER, our independent regulator, has put the offers through their paces, and ensure there's no price gouging going on, it's in the best interests of the consumers.

Now, the AER will, today or tomorrow, release their discussion paper about the next DMO, taking feedback about how this will be implemented in detail. But the Australian Energy Regulator has made clear to me that they see this as a very positive step which helps them do their job to put consumers first.

JOURNALIST: It sounds like, though, reducing the peak demand would eat into retailer margins. Is that just a cost they need to wear?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, this is a reform in the best interests of consumers - I make no apologies for that. I work well with energy companies but they are not first -- consumers are put first. Energy companies will need to comply with these rules if they want to operate in Default Market Offer states.

JOURNALIST: Australians watching this going, you know, there’s no such thing as a free lunch anymore. If they're sceptical, what's the catch, or is there, in all this?

CHRIS BOWEN: There is no catch but it's up to people whether they take this offer up, they could look at this. We are requiring energy companies to make this an option. I think that's a good thing. It's not for everyone. If you can't move your energy use to the middle of the day, if you feel you can’t do that, it's probably not for you. I understand and respect that. This was never claimed to be a one size fits all answer to everyone’s problem.

As I said, think of the example - someone working from home who can put their washing machine on or the dishwasher, pop downstairs while they're working and say, okay, it's 1:00 now, power is free, so I won't do that tonight, I'll do it right now. Or a retired couple, somebody, as I said, with an app who can manage their power system from home, from work even, maybe schedule your EV charging. While you're at work, maybe you went to work on the train, you leave your EV at home, you can schedule the charging for 2:00 in the day when it’s going to be precisely free.

The only reason we can do that because Australians have gotten on with the job of harnessing the opportunities of renewable energy through rooftop solar.

JOURNALIST: Do you have any concerns that your scheme, though, is regressive? Like, white collar professionals that can afford to work from home, you know, older Australians that are predominantly wealthier than other demographics. The other example – can’t remember the third example you used – but that wealthier people will derive most of the benefits from this change?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, the third example I used was a retired pensioner couple living at home. I mean, they are not likely to be wealthy Australians. But as I said, this also helps everyone else. By reducing demand in the evening that helps all of us even if we don't take this offer up. And again, as I said before, the beauty of this is it is required to be offered to people as a choice - not compulsory to take it up, offered as a choice. And that gives people more options and benefits those people who don't take it up because if somebody moves 10 to 25 per cent of their energy use to the middle of the day that they otherwise would have done in the evening, that helps everyone.

JOURNALIST: But does this guarantee people won’t seeing power prices go up [indistinct]…?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, because the Australian Energy Regulator will ensure that the offer is in the best interest of consumers. And energy companies are, as I said, getting this power for free in the middle of the day, the vast majority of the time. Just look at your app and you can see energy prices are negative. So I think that benefit should be passed on to consumers. Now, again, I fully expected this not to be universally welcomed, but I make no apologies for putting the best interests of Australian consumers first, second, and third.

JOURNALIST: The Government's energy rebate scheme is due to end shortly. Do you think this change will help to cover the gap [indistinct]?

CHRIS BOWEN: I wouldn't particularly link the two, but obviously, as we've always said, we will do what we need to do with the evidence base in front of us to give Australians the best opportunity for the cheapest energy prices possible. Matt.

JOURNALIST: A question about the net zero debate. Andrew Bragg has been making the point over the past 48 hours that he seems to be suggesting that you could delay the 2050 deadline for net zero past 2050. You could get to it in the second half of the century, and that would remain [indistinct]…

CHRIS BOWEN: [Talks over] And he's a moderate? And he's a moderate? I mean, net zero by 2050 isn't a political construct. It's a scientific requirement, agreed by 97 per cent of the world's scientists. The difference between the Government and the Opposition is we accept the views of 97 per cent of the world's scientists. The LNP appears to think they know better. They know better than the IPCC, which said if you want to keep the world to 1.5 degrees of warming, you need net zero by 2050. Not a nice-to-have, not a good-to-have, it's essential. Now, that used to be bipartisan in Australia. This is part of the reach-back into science denialism that's happening under this apparently modern Liberal Party that shows that they are just out of touch with the demands of modern Australia.

JOURNALIST: Is there flexibility in the Paris Agreement?

CHRIS BOWEN: No.

JOURNALIST: Minister, on COP, it doesn't seem likely that Prime Minister is going for Belem at this stage based on what he's said. How likely do you think, or how confident are you that you'll get a deal with Türkiye? And have any negotiations for [indistinct]?

CHRIS BOWEN: We continue to talk to Türkiye at various levels, Prime Minister to President, me to my ministerial counterpart, Minister Wong to hers. We do those negotiations direct, not, with all due respect, through you. Those negotiations and discussions will continue. Situation remains as it has all the way through. I know this is a boring answer, but it happens to be a factual one. Australia has the overwhelming support of the world and our group to host COP31. The rules of the UNFCCC require consensus, which in effect means unanimous, including the candidate that you've just been up against. So that's why we continue those discussions with Türkiye.

JOURNALIST: On solar [indistinct]… with switching some of the load to the middle of the day from the afternoon peak where coal power is used, is this an emissions-saving move? If you’re doing this, if you could cut-

CHRIS BOWEN: [Talks over] It's not my primary objective, Mark, but it's true that if you're using more solar power in the middle of the day and not using coal-fired power at night, of course, there'll be some emissions impact, but we're doing this to provide Australians with better options for energy prices. Ryan?

JOURNALIST: Have you considered the possibility of splitting hosting duties with Turkey?

CHRIS BOWEN: [Talks over] I'm not going to go through what's been talked about with Türkiye. Once I start opening that up, Ryan, “Have you considered this? Have you considered that? Have you said this? Have you said that?”, I'm just not going there. When there's a result, I'll be standing before you, maybe here, maybe in Brazil, maybe- but there'll be plenty of opportunities to go through the implications of the result, whatever it may be.

JOURNALIST: Do you have the support [indistinct]…?

CHRIS BOWEN: Yes.

JOURNALIST: Would you bet on Australia to win?

CHRIS BOWEN: I’m not- well, I know there's a lot of betting going on today, but I'm focused on delivering a generational importance, an opportunity of generational importance for our geopolitical strategic best interests in the Pacific, working with our Pacific family on their one, two, and three issues. I mean, this is absolutely the most important issue for the Pacific. The Pacific has strongly supported our bid, working on the opportunities of selling Australia's renewable energy potential, the world's largest trade scale. This is the opportunity for our country. That's where I'm hoping to start. I think I've got time for maybe a couple more.

JOURNALIST: If it’s a big opportunity, why hasn't the Prime Minister attended a COP since he was elected?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, the big opportunity is to host the COP in Australia, and I can assure you the Prime Minister will be there in Adelaide.

JOURNALIST: Minister, can you spread some clarity on how many households you would expect to benefit, I suppose when it first comes online in the next year, and then what you know about that [indistinct]?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, there's 475,000 houses on the Default Market Offer for whom this option becomes available. Of course, there's many more than that on-market offers. This is a benchmark. So again, this is not the answer for everyone; it's the answer for a big chunk of people.

JOURNALIST: If people are benefiting from free power during the day but don't have solar panels in their roof, as houses with solar panels do, does that sort of cool the uptake potentially?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, I don't think so. I don't think so. There's still enormous benefits for getting solar panels on the battery. And I'll give you a little tip – 110,000 Australian households are now installed with cheaper home batteries. There's a little taster for Question Time. Of course it's in their best interest. Now, we all benefit. I don't think that extending the benefits to some other people means that the benefits of your self-proof solar panels are somehow reduced.

All right, I'm going to get down. Thanks, guys.