If adopted, the RET Review recommendations would spell the end of the renewable energy industry in Australia leading to the loss of jobs and billions of dollars of future investment in rural and regional Australia.

RES is currently in discussions with local community organisations regarding two wind farm proposals, one for a development between Horsham and Yarriambiack and another at Penshurst near Hamilton. RES already has permits in place for a 75 turbine project near Ararat. All three projects are suffering significant delays due to uncertainty over the RET.

RES believes the RET Review report fails to make a credible case for scrapping the RET. The modelling commissioned by the Review panel has shown that the RET in its current form will lead to an overall reduction in energy prices. Despite this the Report still recommends that the RET is removed or wound down significantly, which could result in higher electricity bills.

RES argues that the RET target should be maintained at its current 41,000GWh level to ensure that renewable energy can continue to grow in Australia.

"The Government has stated that they are committed to the bi-partisan five per cent emission reduction target for greenhouse gases by 2020 and the RET is the last remaining tool we have to help the country achieve this," Daniel Leahy, project manager for the Ararat Wind Farm said.

"It is unclear how Australia would meet this target if the RET is scrapped as there are no other costed or modelled alternative schemes.

"It has been shown through the various modelling reports completed so far, that the RET is a low cost way of achieving a cleaner energy future. The big winners from this are likely to be the coal fired power generators who would stand to enhance revenues through reduced competition in the energy market.

"Winding back the RET will hurt jobs, growth and investment as without the RET, Australia will miss its emissions reduction targets, miss out on billions of dollars worth of investments in projects and local communities and miss the opportunity to move to a clean energy future.

"The Ararat Wind Farm and the proposed Penshurst and Murra Warra wind farms are set to inject around 1.5 billion dollars into the surrounding communities over the 25 years of their lifetime. We have found people in those communities to have been incredibly supportive and excited by the projects and welcoming of this investment and the opportunities it brings. We call upon the Government to leave the RET unchanged and provide the certainty required for Australia to reap the benefits from its incredible natural resources for the future."

Horsham based civil engineering company Millers Civil Contractors, has already completed over half a million dollars of work for RES Australia on the Ararat Wind Farm project and is concerned that further work it hoped to win on the projects may dry up.

Jay Miller from Millers Civil Contractors said that in the current economy projects such as the Ararat Wind Farm are vital.

"They provide valuable investment in the country resulting in immediate and long term employment to the area," he said.

"The Ararat Wind Farm along with the proposed windf arms at Murra Warra and Penshurst offer a substantial boost to local employment and provide long term economic benefits to these communities. Not forgetting this is a long term investment into a natural source of energy reducing our reliance on coal.

"It would be extremely disappointing to see the government remove the Renewable Energy Target in what would be a large step backwards."