22 March 2018
Where’s the plan? NSW Government falling behind in race to repower with renewables
The Berejiklian Government is letting slip a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make NSW the renewable energy powerhouse of the Australia.
“With the Federal Government’s renewable energy target set to soon expire, the bonanza of clean energy investment and jobs will dry up unless the Berejiklian government develops a plan to keep the investment flowing,” said NCC Climate and Energy Campaigner Dr Brad Smith.
“Unbelieveably, the government still does not have a plan to tap this incredible potential and support the investment that’s required to fully develop the state’s renewable energy resources.
“They have still not released their climate change plan 18 months after it was due. It all gives the strong impression the government’s energy policy is still captured by the coal and gas lobby and the three big electricity companies.
“The government is clearly aware of the renewables gold mine that the state possesses. In a submission to the Australian Energy Markets Operation, the government said three zones in NSW could unlock 77,000 megawatts of new generation capacity.” [1]
That report confirms the findings of a report the Nature Conservation Council released last November showing a handful of regions in NSW had the potential of becoming clean-energy superpowers that could replace the state’s five coal-burning power stations with clean energy by 2030.
“If managed properly by a state government with a clear plan and willingness to act, the transition from coal and gas to solar, wind and storage will attract $25 billion of investment, the construction of about 2,500 wind turbines and installation of more 42 million solar panels across the state,” Dr Smith said.
“It’s a big job, but making the NSW electricity system 100% renewable is 100% doable. The only thing missing is strong political leadership.
“Repowering the state’s electricity system with clean energy will be one of the biggest infrastructure roll-outs that state has seen. It will make renewable energy a new pillar of rural economies in many parts of the state, generating and sustaining more than 22,000 new jobs in NSW.”
See the table below of a full regional breakdown.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
|
Region
|
Potential (new and existing)
|
Solar panels
|
Wind turbines
|
Jobs
2017-30
|
Investment
|
|
Western NSW
|
6,803 MW
|
14M solar panels
|
750 turbines
|
1,820-2,910
|
$8 billion
|
|
New England
|
4,515 MW
|
11M solar panels
|
333 turbines
|
1,160-1,776
|
$5.2 billion
|
|
Central West
|
5,906 MW
|
13M solar panels
|
555 turbines
|
1,930-2,720
|
$6.4 billion
|
|
South East
|
3,940 MW
|
3M solar panels
|
833 turbines
|
1,443-2,126
|
$4.5 billion
|
|
Rest of state
|
12,000 MW
|
1.3M solar homes
|
220 turbines
|
12,300
|
$1.2 billion
|
|
TOTAL
|
22,344 MW
|
78M solar panels
|
2,694 turbines
|
18,500-21,800
|
$25.4 billion
|
|
Conversions: Average wind turbine = 3.6MW | Average solar panel = ~300 watts (270 watts for home panels, 320 watts for solar farms) | Average house power usage = 5.2MWH/year
|
WHAT IS NEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE ELECTRICITY GRID IN NSW
The Berejiklian government must slash carbon pollution, increase the reliability of our power supply, and promote jobs by:
- Setting enforceable targets to source 65% of NSW’s electricity from renewables by 2025 and 100% by 2030.
- Planning for the quick, orderly closure of antiquated coal-fired power stations, ensuring the transition is fair for power-station workers and communities.
- Creating incentives for storage technologies like batteries and pumped hydro to make our electricity grid more stable and reliable.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
https://www.nature.org.au/media/287133/repowering-our-regions-ncc-2017.pdf
REFERENCES
[1] www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/nsw-government-s-power-plan-reveals-huge-renewable-energy-resources-20180321-p4z5j3.html
Tags
Climate and energy
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