In every week when world temperatures are exceeding all historic information, and the melting Antarctic ice will get a point out on the ABC finance report, the Queensland authorities has introduced the subsequent step in its lengthy march to renewable vitality dominance of the state grid: twelve new Renewable Power Zones. Alan Kohler, common finance presenter on the Australian Broadcasting Fee (ABC), surprised audiences just a few days in the past when he confirmed a graph of the melting of Antarctic sea ice and gave the warning: “That’s not finance but, nevertheless it quickly might be.” Watch the finance report right here.
It’s just one minute and 52 seconds, and has been described as “sensible” in the best way it hyperlinks environmental and financial well being.
On this context, the Queensland authorities’s announcement of a plan to ascertain 12 Renewable Power Zones (REZ) all through the state over the subsequent decade is welcome information. The REZ might be unfold all through the state, might be situated within the southern, central, northern, and much northern areas of the state. It’s anticipated that the work might be accomplished by Powerlink Queensland. Sarcastically, these REZ might be funded by an improve in coal royalties paid by a number of the largest fossil gasoline exporters. Victoria and New South Wales have already begun the method of organising REZ.
“A REZ is an space with sturdy wind and solar that’s developed in a coordinated technique to decrease prices and enhance local people, environmental, and cultural heritage outcomes,” in line with the draft roadmap. Mick de Brenni, Queensland’s Minister for Power, Renewables and Hydrogen, says: “Renewable vitality is bringing new jobs and alternatives to regional communities, together with high-value battery manufacturing, essential minerals, biofuels, hydrogen and supplies recycling.
“The draft Roadmap outlines the pathway for connecting 22 gigawatts of latest wind and photo voltaic technology — eight instances extra renewable vitality than Queensland has now. This REZ improvement represents a gentle pipeline of ongoing building jobs and different neighborhood advantages over the approaching years.
“We have now created a framework for growing REZs that works with landholders, communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, trade and regional stakeholders throughout all phases of REZ improvement.”
Queensland’s present grid produces and consumes about 8 GW of energy per day and has a goal of fifty% renewables by 2030, 70% by 2032, and 80% by 2035. At present, on a cloudy morning, the Queensland grid is barely 14% renewable. The nationwide goal set by the federal authorities is an 82% renewables goal for the electrical energy grid by 2030, described by the federal minster for Local weather Change and Power Chris Bowen as “extremely bold, however achievable.” It will be lots easier if varied states and territories might have the identical targets. However then once more, that is Australia, the place all of the states have completely different rail gauges.
The federal government draft roadmap seeks the views of native individuals so that REZ funding will depart a optimistic legacy in communities. Like every main transition, the transfer to renewables wants social license to proceed. It’s anticipated that there might be a number of alternatives for native companies to supply important companies like lodging, manufacturing, and coaching. The purpose is to empower communities to form outcomes by organising “Regional Power Reference Teams.”
“REZs are essential to making sure Queenslanders have entry to inexpensive vitality in the long run, in addition to creating regional job alternatives, and reducing Queensland emissions. They may ship a gentle pipeline of roughly 4,000 direct ongoing renewable vitality building jobs. These jobs are a part of 100,000 direct and oblique jobs anticipated by 2040 detailed within the QEJP to construct our SuperGrid and in rising inexperienced alternatives like renewable hydrogen, battery manufacturing, useful resource mining and steel refining.
“Regional and distant Queensland covers an unlimited space of the state and is dwelling to a various vary of communities with sturdy hyperlinks to nation, agricultural manufacturing, minerals and business industries. From Outback Queensland, together with the regional centres of Mount Isa, Barcaldine, and Charleville to Cape York and the Torres Strait, distant communities have traditionally relied on diesel technology as an vitality supply. As these communities aren’t linked to Queensland’s essential electrical energy grid, different initiatives might be delivered to assist regional communities by way of the vitality transformation.”
Western (Outback) Queensland is the house to grain farmers and huge sheep and cattle properties. Northern Queensland has an estimated AU$700 billion value of essential minerals (together with vanadium and copper). Townsville and Gladstone are industrial hubs at present being primed for the transition from coal exports to inexperienced hydrogen. Southern Queensland is comparatively densely populated as a result of location of the state capital, Brisbane.
“Outback Queensland is dwelling to greater than 100 megawatts (MW) of large-scale renewable vitality initiatives. Since 2015, greater than $300 million has been invested in operational renewable vitality initiatives, creating round 300 jobs. Over the longer-term, an estimated $1.1 billion is predicted to be invested in Outback Queensland to construct extra electrical energy infrastructure up till 2040.”
The Queensland authorities is placing its cash (or extra seemingly, the surplus earnings from coal royalties) the place its mouth is by instantly allocating $AU 6 million to “strategically assess infrastructure, transport, housing and lodging, workforce, provide chains, waste administration, different land makes use of, and social infrastructure, in addition to native trade and First Nations concerns, throughout the three areas.”
If Queensland and Australia can harness the mixture of wind, photo voltaic, and enormous expanses of land to create inexperienced vitality, the nation might change into one of many richest on earth. The proposed Renewable Power Zones might create an financial growth in addition to slowing the tempo of local weather change. A possible win for everybody. Can we construct them out quick sufficient?
When the impacts of worldwide warming get a point out as a part of the finance report, it makes an influence. Monetary establishments are waking as much as the price of doing nothing. The rise in extreme climate occasions like bushfires, floods, droughts, and cyclones is costing economies billions of {dollars} in cleanup, mitigation, and misplaced productiveness. To not point out lack of life. In Australia, we’re struggling to recuperate from one disaster earlier than the subsequent one hits, with many areas now uninsurable. Maybe Alan is mistaken when he says it’s not finance but. For all of us, climate occasions dictate our prosperity. Australia’s transfer in the direction of greener vitality manufacturing can’t come quick sufficient.
Featured picture from Queensland authorities.
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