Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (21:32): What an appalling piece of legislation we have before us. To repeal the carbon tax is an enormous setback for Australia and, indeed, the world. I remember when these laws were passed in 2011. My friends living overseas were excited and inspired. They told me they were so proud to be Australian and they were in many conversations about the possibility of preventing real action on climate change. And now we have this real setback here, one that is very destructive.

The Australian Greens say they will not allow the Prime Minister's ideological rejection of global warming and kowtowing to the IPA to dictate energy policy and doom Australia to a rust bucket economy.

"Tony Abbott is last century's man on energy policy," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"The Prime Minister's ideological aversion to renewable energy is dangerous because by putting coal first, he will inflict upon the country stranded fossil fuel assets, runaway global warming and a rust bucket economy.

The Australian Greens celebrate saving the Clean Energy Finance Corporation today in the Senate and will continue to do everything they can to make it permanent. Next task is to stop Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt dismantling the Climate Change Authority and clean energy laws.

"Tony Abbott's opposition to the CEFC is pure ideological spite. The evidence supporting it is overwhelming. It is reducing emissions, rolling out renewable energy and saving the government money," said Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, gives a speech in the Senate in support of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and to speak against its abolition.

Greens Senator for WA Scott Ludlam, former Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and NZ Greens spokesperson for Energy Gareth Hughes MP united with key members of the WA renewable energy industry today to warn against an attack on renewable energy policy following Saturday's Federal election.

"Every time Tony Abbott opens his mouth he is costing WA jobs and investment," Scott Ludlam, Greens Senator for Western Australia said at a joint press conference.

Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam was in Collie today talking with locals about the Greens' plans for Collie as a renewable energy generation hub.

Senator Ludlam, who earlier this year released Energy 2029 - a costed, technical plan for how WA's main electricity grid could switch to 100% renewable energy generation - said Collie should be one of five regional Renewable Energy Zones as it had key attributes that made it the right place to generate renewable energy.

Community-owned clean energy is already strong overseas, from local groups in Denmark that sparked the global wind power industry to apartment dwellers in the US that own solar panels on local buildings.

Australia has successful community-owned clean energy projects like Hepburn Community Wind Park, but considering our world-leading clean energy resources, our potential has barely been tapped.

The Greens will fund a $100 million Australian Community Renewable Energy Program that will help local groups plan, build and own their clean energy resources.