Australian states making big steps towards renewable energy
In recent weeks, three Australian states have announced their plans for reaching renewable energy targets in Australia.
New South Wales’s renewable energy plan
NSW has just announced the building of at least five renewable energy zones over the next 10 years.
The process will be overseen by Australian Energy Market Operator services and is expected to deliver 12 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
This is the most ambitious program of its type ever proposed in Australia and will be crucial in helping the nation to reach its goal of 82% renewable energy by the end of the decade.
These new energy resources are needed to replace the state’s coal-fired power stations, four out of five of which are scheduled to be retired in the next 11 years.
Government modelling suggests that this new roadmap to renewable energy sources will reduce the electricity bills of small businesses and households from as early as 2023. Yearly savings of approximately $430 on electricity bills per year are expected for small businesses, and NSW households can hope to save about $130 a year on average household electricity bills.
State energy minister Matt Kean says that this “marks a major milestone in the delivery of our renewable energy and storage plans,” and that “it’s expected to create a jobs and [an] investment boom across NSW.”
Queensland’s renewable energy plan
Similarly, Queensland is doing their bit in helping the country move towards green energy. The state currently has the highest emissions of any state but just last week, Queensland’s Labor government made the pledge to undergo a $62 billion dollar plan to make the switch from 80% fossil fuels to 80% renewables by 2035.
Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk has set two targets: firstly, for 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewables by 2032, and secondly, for this to increase to 80% by 2035. There are also projections that coal will be providing no power at all after 2037.
The plan involves transitioning the state’s coal stations to “clean energy hubs” as well as building a hydro energy storage facility west of Mackay and another hydroelectricity plant at Borumba Dam. Palaszczuk has described the proposed hydro station set to be located west of Mackay as “the largest pumped hydro energy storage in the world.”
This plan is predicted to reduce household electricity costs by approximately $150 annually.
“I honestly believe it will be one of our proudest legacies in the decades to come,” says Palaszczuk.
Victoria’s renewable energy plan
Just last week, Victoria’s Labor Government led by Dan Andrews announced its targets for renewable energy as well as a $157 million package to support renewable energy generation.
The plan aims for the state to reach 2.6 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity by 2030. This is enough energy to power around half of Victoria’s current homes at their peak energy use.
As well as being good for the environment, this plan is expected to secure over 12 thousand jobs and create $1.7 billion in investment.
In order to reach this goal, the government is investing $119 million from the Renewable Energy Zone Fund to fund the creation of a 125MW battery and grid in the Murray Renewable Energy Zone.
“Victoria is already the renewable energy capital of Australia, and now, we'll have the biggest energy storage targets in the country too” says Victoria’s Premier, Dan Andrews.
In the meantime, if you need tips on how to reduce your energy bill this spring, check out our spring energy saving guide.
