Queensland Announces New Clean Energy targets

This week Queensland Premier, the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled a new 10-year energy plan for the state, setting a target of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035, with ambitions to transform the state’s coal-fired power stations into clean energy hubs. 

The former Queensland energy plan, announced by the premier in June 2021, had a target of fifty per cent renewable energy by 2030, which it has been on track to achieve. 

The former energy plan came on the back of a renewable energy push in 2015, which has led to fifty current large-scale green energy projects contributing over $10b in investment. The projects represent 5774MW of clean energy and a saving of over a 13.8million tonnes of emissions. 

Queensland currently has more than 7,600 MW of renewable energy capacity. By July 1, 2022, 21.4 per cent of all electricity used was from renewable energy, a 2% increase from the same time last year and a 14% increase since 2015.

As part of the Clean Energy plan, the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce was established to ensure that green hydrogen became part of the emission-free energy mix. The plan also considers green hydrogen as a strong potential export market. 

The range of renewable energy initiatives continues to grow as the state moves towards its targets. These include the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund, and Borumba Dam Pumped Hydro feasibility study, plus the Advancing Clean Energy Schools Program which helps to put renewable power solutions into schools.

The Solar 150 program supports 4 solar farm projects through long-term revenue guarantees, joined by the Solar for remote communities scheme and Clean Co, Queensland’s first publicly owned clean energy company. Another project is a reverse auction for up to 400MW of renewable energy called Renewables 400.

“We must invest now. Not just for our climate,” said Ms Palaszczuk.

“We must address this issue at the same time we focus on new job opportunities to bring everyone along with the clean energy industrial revolution at our doorstep.”

Ms Palaszczuk said that $62 billion of investment up to 2035 would be split between the public and private sectors and expressed her hope that the Federal government would also contribute, particularly to the hydro-energy projects, adding that her conversations with Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, had been encouraging. 

Yesterday, the premier opened Electro Group’s Renewable Energy Training Facility at Pinkenba, a new training institution for renewable energy.  

References

State Government’s clean energy plan to power $740 billion resources boom – Ministerial Media Statements

Queensland’s renewable energy target | Department of Energy and Public Works (epw.qld.gov.au)

Clean, affordable energy powering more jobs | Department of Energy and Public Works (epw.qld.gov.au)

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