Established on 2 April 2012 by the Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011, the Clean Energy Regulator is an independent statutory authority responsible for administering legislation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy. The agency is a non-corporate Commonwealth entity for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
The Clean Energy Regulator comprises the government appointed Regulator, with a Chair and four Members, who set the strategic direction for the agency and are accountable for its regulatory decisions, and agency staff, who carry out day-to-day operations. In addition to his regulatory accountabilities, the Chair serves as the agency head under the Public Service Act 1999 and is the accountable authority under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
As part of the Environment and Energy portfolio, the Clean Energy Regulator delivers one outcome to government:
Contribute to a reduction in Australia’s net greenhouse gas emissions, including through the administration of market based mechanisms that incentivise reduction in emissions and the promotion of additional renewable electricity generation.
Our purpose statement distils the Clean Energy Regulator’s reason for being: Accelerating carbon abatement for Australia. We are responsible for administering a range of government schemes that work together to measure, manage, reduce or offset Australia’s carbon emissions and encourage investment in renewable energy.