Queensland’s vitality minister has declared that not one of the state’s eight coal-fired energy stations will likely be closed as a part of its 10-year vitality transition plan, elevating doubts in regards to the authorities’s local weather change and vitality targets.
Mick de Brenni mentioned later this yr he would current a plan to generate 50% of the state’s electrical energy from renewable vitality sources, reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 and obtain web zero by 2050.
Nevertheless, there are questions on these targets after he added that eight present coal-fired energy crops would stay open.
“First, to make this actually clear that as a part of our imaginative and prescient for the long run, it doesn't embody closing down any of our coal-fired energy stations,” de Brenni instructed a Committee for Financial Growth of Australia (Ceda) lunch in Brisbane on Wednesday.
“They are going to proceed to play a big position in our electrical energy system going ahead.
“We now have an ideal assemblance of expertise and sources, and necessary connections all through the distribution, the transmission community.
“These energy stations function nice alternatives for us to modernise the electrical energy system to speculate into these communities, so I believe there will likely be an actual vibrance throughout regional Queensland due to the funding we'll make.”
The minister mentioned the federal government would “proceed to help” the coal and gasoline industries, as a regulator and a “market participant”.
Queensland produced virtually one-third of Australia’s 315m tonnes of carbon dioxide equal in 2020-21, in accordance with the Clear Vitality Regulator (CER).
Virtually half the state’s emissions got here from coal-fired energy crops, with different main sources together with coalmining and oil and gasoline extraction.
The CER additionally listed three Queensland mills – Stanwell Coporation, CS Vitality and OzGen Holdings – amongst Australia’s prime 10 emitters in 2021-22.
College of Queensland economist Affiliate Prof Ian MacKenzie mentioned de Brenni’s feedback weren’t based mostly on sound economics or ethics.
“The only and most cost-effective solution to get to those targets, probably the most environment friendly approach, is by phasing out coal and investing in new renewable applied sciences, it’s easy as that,” he mentioned.
De Brenni mentioned he would additionally delay the discharge of the vitality plan till the third quarter of 2022 because of the federal election.
“We’ve seen another vitality plans launched by different ranges of presidency that I believe all of us thought left slightly bit to be desired,” he mentioned.
“We don’t wish to do this right here in Queensland, as we’ve taken the time to correctly seek the advice of and we additionally thought it was honest for the residents of this state, and the taxpayers of this state, and people who wish to spend money on Queensland, they really see what got here ahead through the federal election.”
MacKenzie mentioned an additional delay was important as a result of the federal government solely had eight years till 2030.
He mentioned the business, buyers, customers and the overall inhabitants all wanted certainty in regards to the vitality transition and local weather motion as quickly as potential.
“If the federal government retains kicking the can down the highway, you’re going to finish up with numerous sad residents and numerous sad business stakeholders as a result of they simply don’t know what’s occurring,” MacKenzie mentioned.
“It’s not good for anybody.”
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