Unions, councils and green groups urge Andrews to aim high on renewables

Date
    December 20, 2015
    The Age



Unions, councils and green groups have urged the Andrews government to adopt a more ambitious renewable energy target than planned, if the state is serious about boosting jobs and accelerating projects.   

In the wake of this month's climate change agreement in Paris, Victoria is on the brink of unveiling a long-awaited blueprint which the government claims will rebuild the state's renewable energy sector after years of setbacks.

Under the strategy, the government has said it will aim to create at least 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, with a further target set for 2025, based on community feedback.

But in formal submissions quietly released on the department's website, proponents have urged Premier Daniel Andrews to aim higher, pointing out that a bold target is needed in order to boost jobs and get more households and communities to switch to renewable sources.

"We note the ambitious renewable energy targets set by the other states – including South Australia's target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2025 and the Australian Capital Territory's target of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025 – and encourage the Victorian government to set a more ambitious target," wrote the Municipal Association of Victoria, the peak body for local councils.    

At present, about 12 per cent of the state's power is generated from renewable energy, such as solar and wind, while almost 85 per cent is generated from brown coal power plants in the Latrobe Valley, such as the Hazelwood and Yallourn.

But Labor went to the election promising to improve Victoria's energy mix through a so-called "Renewable Energy Action Plan" that is expected to be released early next year. The government has spent the past few months seeking community input, and has so far received about 1300 submissions from interested parties. Among those submissions:   

    Friends of the Earth and the Victorian Trades Hall Council joined forces to call for developers of large-scale renewable energy projects to be forced to disclose how much local content they use, in order to encourage more Victorian contractors and manufacturers.



    The union movement suggested that any new strategy should also include a credible accreditation system for skilled tradies, an apprentice system through public TAFE, and adequate protections for workers.



    The City of Melbourne joined the chorus for a higher target, citing CSIRO research that showed it is possible to achieve 50 to 70 per cent by 2030, and "a zero-carbon electricity system" by 2050.


Modelling conducted for the Clean Energy Council recently found that renewable investment is good for jobs, with a typical 50MW windfarm able to create about 48 construction jobs and employ an estimated five additional staff for operations and maintenance.

Friends of the Earth spokesman Leigh Ewbank said mandatory disclosure of local content was particularly important because it would generate home-grown employment and give the community greater transparency over new projects. The group has also suggested a target of 30 per cent by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2025.

Meanwhile, Trades Hall's submission urges the government for "strong targets that will drive job growth and investment in the industry; and that are in line with or better than targets set by other Australian states".

Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said the government was reviewing submissions for its action plan, which was "part of a suite of measures the Andrews Labor Government is pursuing to drive jobs and investment in Victorian renewable energy".

Armchair_Politician wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 7:28am:


Yeah, Armpit, they should go all out on digging up and burning dirty brown coal, shouldn’t they?

Do you know that improvements to wind power have seen better blades and higher towers that means the wind turbines are nearly always turning?

Sir lastnail wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 7:56am:


You are a special kind of stupid.

John Smith wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 8:29am:


I'm sorry but I don't speak stupid or idiot. You seem to have a grasp on what he's saying so perhaps you can translate since you speak the same language!

John Smith wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 8:36am:


If you're that stupid you can't spot English then there's no hope for you, because you've got nothing.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 7:28am:

Renewable energy is more than just wind energy. Solar and hydro also exist. Hydro is particularly useful because it is accessible on demand with a short startup time.

You do have a point though regarding backup generation, but that does not mean we need fossil fuels. It is possible for diesel to be generated on-site using the latest technology. Excess energy could be converted to diesel for later use, though that is not the most efficient use for surplus energy.

Advances in battery technology may also reduce the need for backup generation substantially.