{"id":35478,"date":"2017-01-19T15:36:37","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T04:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=35478"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:31:09","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T03:31:09","slug":"solar-to-power-melbourne-trams-as-australias-ghg-emissions-rise-reports-takvera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/solar-to-power-melbourne-trams-as-australias-ghg-emissions-rise-reports-takvera\/","title":{"rendered":"#Solar to power Melbourne trams as Australia’s GHG emissions rise reports @takvera"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Energy

Energy and Climate Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announcing Melbourne’s tram network to go solar<\/p><\/div>\nLily D’Ambrosio, the Victorian Energy and Environment Minister, stepped forward today to announce that Melbourne’s tram network will be powered by 100 per cent Solar. Not directly of course. But the government will issue a tender for a new 75MW capacity large scale solar farm to supply the equivalent power needed for the tram network to the electricity grid. <\/p>\n

The Government will voluntarily surrender renewable energy certificates matching the amount of electricity used by all of Melbourne\u2019s trams.<\/p>\n

About 35MW from the solar farm will be allocated for powering the tram network. \u201cWe\u2019ve got the biggest tram network in the world and we\u2019re powering it with renewables and creating local jobs.\u201d said Transport Minister Jacinta Allan.<\/p>\n

The tender will be for a new 75MW solar farm in regional Victoria which will deliver $150 million in new capital investment and an estimated 300 new jobs. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will use our purchasing power as a large energy consumer to boost investment in renewables and create new jobs for Victorians.\u201d said Energy and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re positioning Victoria as a leader in climate change, by reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The open tender will be issued in the first half of 2017 with an estimated completion by the end of 2018. It will be Victoria’s first large scale solar far.<\/p>\n

When asked whether using the current coal based baseload power wasn’t more efficient and building solar may increase electricity prices, Ms D’Ambrosio replied<\/a> “The more renewable energy that comes into the system actually puts downward pressure on electricity prices.”<\/p>\n

The idea has been around for some time. in May 2015 a Renewable energy group bids to turn Melbourne’s trams solar<\/a>. According to Brendan Donohue tweet<\/a>, state Greens MP Ellen Sandell said that the government had copied the Greens solar offset trams policy.<\/p>\n

Victoria is following in the renewables footsteps of the ACT government in open tender purchasing of power to increase renewables. In 2016 the ACT legislated for 100 per cent renewables<\/a> electricity by 2020, and is already well on the way to achieving this target through reverse auction tenders. The two Victorian wind farms: Coonooer Bridge and the Ararat wind farm were built from ACT power tenders.<\/p>\n

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Our trams will soon be powered by a new solar plant in regional Vic.
Delivering $150 million in new investment & 300 new jobs #springst<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KNa7UfqfCu<\/a><\/p>\n

— Lily D'Ambrosio MP (@LilyDAmbrosioMP) January 19, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n