Australian parties agree on renewable energy law

CANBERRA: Australia's main political parties struck an agreement Wednesday on a new law requiring that 20 percent of the country's electricity comes from renewable sources such as the sun and wind by 2020 - more than twice the current level.

The law would quadruple the renewable energy target set by the previous government in 2001 and provide enough clean electricity to power the households of all 21 million Australians.