11 June 2021: Renewable-Powered Trains a Welcome Step on the Road to Clean Transport
The NSW Government has today announced that the state’s train network will be powered with renewable energy by 2025, a move welcomed by community group Solar Citizens.
“Powering transport with cheap renewables is a clean energy trifecta: it’s good news for the climate and the health of our communities, and it stimulates demand for more solar and wind projects to come online,” said Hannah Mitchell, Campaigner at Solar Citizens.
“We know that strong action is needed to slash Australia’s transport pollution because it’s harmful to our health and is a major driver of climate change.
“Today’s announcement shows real leadership, but it’s also just the first step on the road to slashing pollution from the transport sector.
“We’d like to see the NSW government now go up a gear and accelerate the switch to electric vehicles.
“Electric vehicles don’t produce any harmful pollution and they can provide valuable grid services by soaking up excess solar energy during the day.
“Australia has lagged behind the rest of the world on electric vehicles, but now we’re starting to see states like the ACT and Victoria step up to provide incentives for their uptake.
“It’s encouraging to hear that Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s vision is for all vehicles to be electric. To make that vision become a reality the NSW Government now needs to put in place policies to make cleaner cars more affordable and accessible for everyone.”
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Media contact: Hannah Mitchell 0427 036 182