Queensland's Clean Energy Spending No Match for Southern States
1 December 2020: Queensland's Clean Energy Spending No Match for Southern States
Community group Solar Citizens today commends the Queensland Government for delivering on their pre-election renewable energy commitments in today’s state budget, but says the Sunshine State has a long way to go to match NSW and Victoria’s clean energy leadership.
“Allocating $645 million to clean energy and three new Renewable Energy Zones shows that the Queensland Government means business about building a better and more affordable energy future for Queenslanders,” said Ellen Roberts, Solar Citizens National Director.
“But Queensland’s spending on clean energy falls short compared to the level of ambition we’re seeing from NSW and Victoria.
“NSW just passed the biggest and most exciting renewable energy plan Australia has seen yet, and Victoria is helping another 42,000 homes get solar to slash their electricity bills.
“Queensland has world-class solar and wind resources. We could be a clean energy leader and power thousands of new jobs in renewable hydrogen production, but the meager $10 million allocated for hydrogen is not going to cut it.”
Solar Citizens says that this budget also misses opportunities to drive down electricity bills for renters and social housing tenants, especially as Queensland is set to suffer through another heatwave. These comments come as the Australian Energy Regulator's latest report found that thousands of Australian households and small businesses are struggling to pay their power bills through the pandemic.
“The Queensland Government recently ran a successful solar for renters trial that saw participating tenants save $600 per year on average. Now that it’s summer, it’s a no-brainer to expand this trial so all households can afford to stay cool,” said Ms Roberts.
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