NSW Government's $32 billion renewable energy plan announced   

ABC News
Nov 9 2020


Households and industry are being promised cheaper and cleaner power, with the State Government announcing the start of a massive funding package ahead of next week's Budget.

Key points:   
The renewable plan is tipped to create more than 9,100 jobs
It is also set to drive down electricity costs for home and business
The Opposition has shown bipartisan support for the plan
NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean said the plan would drive investment in private infrastructure worth $32 billion in renewable energy over the next decade.

It will generate 6,300 construction jobs and 2,800 ongoing jobs, along with $1.5 billion in lease payments for landowners, especially in regional NSW for wind and solar farms.

Mr Kean said the new infrastructure will put NSW in the top 10 for the lowest industrial electricity prices in the OECD.

"Our priority is to keep the lights on and get power prices down, with the Roadmap forecast to save NSW households an average of $130 and small businesses an average of $430 on their electricity bills each year," Mr Kean said.

Matt Kean
Energy Minister Matt Kean said households would save around $130 a year on electricity.
Mr Kean said the transition away from coal-fired power will start with a series of grants worth $50 million dollars in the Budget on November 17.

Pumped hydro projects are set to take over the state's baseload power capacity as four out of NSW's five coal-fired power plants are phased out over the next 15 years.

"We are providing money to make sure that we get two gigawatts of pumped hydro storage. That means that we are not only getting cheap electricity, we are also getting reliable electricity," Mr Kean said.


The Opposition's Energy spokesman Adam Searle has given the party's initial support, but he said they were yet to see the details of the legislation.

"We welcome the plans, but after a decade of delay, NSW is now in a race against time to deliver the cleaner energy supply needed for the future," Mr Searle said.

He said he wants to see local jobs and manufacturing given priority in any grants or tenders awarded to the private sector.

"It would be a complete travesty if, in delivering the next generation of the state's energy assets, local businesses and local workers were cut out of the action," he said.

The Nature Conservation Council's Chief Executive Chris Gambian commended the plan, describing it as "serious action on climate change in a way that will also create jobs and bring down power prices".

32 billion this time and how many billions have been poured into green energy prior to this and for what the return is very low.

We will see what eventuates not much I bet and the oligarchy have once again walked away with barrels of tax payer money.

When are people going to wake up to this shearing of tax payer money by the oligarchy, how many more billions before people start to say well enough is enough.

We're being robbed......