![\"20170214-protest-Southwick-Guy\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/20170214-protest-Southwick-Guy.jpg?resize=1024%2C576\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Liberal party in three states – Victoria, South Australia and Queensland – vowed to drop state based renewable energy targets if elected. This follows Federal Liberal Party war on renewables and climate policy conducted since Abbott took power in 2013, continued under Prime Minister Turnbull. <\/p>\n
While climate action at the Federal level has followed a rollercoast ride in the past two decades, states are increasingly taking more action to protect their citizens.<\/p>\n
In the latest round of attacks at the Federal level, Manchester University climate change PhD student Marc Hudson argues that what we are seeing is not actually a policy battle, but a politics battle<\/a>, and one that has been going on since at least 2000.<\/p>\n With rollback of the federal Renewable Energy Target and no plan as yet to extend it, the Labor states of South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, and the ACT, have all set in motion state renewable energy targets. <\/p>\n The ACT is already on target for reaching 100 per cent renewables by 2020.<\/p>\n South Australia has a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2025, and is already achieving 40 per cent renewables. It supports this with gas power stations and reliance on the interconnector with Victoria. The South Australian coal power stations operating were closed by the companies operating them. There was no smooth transition put in place for their closure at the Federal Level.<\/p>\n In December 2016 Queensland adopted a target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030<\/a> and a doubling of rooftop solar to more than 1 million households. Queensland currently has a high proportion of coal and gas generation, a small amount of hydro and substantive takeup of small scale solarPV. Renewable targets will boost utility scale solar farms and add wind farms into the mix. The three LNG processing plants are major electricity users in Queensland, serving the LNG export trade.<\/p>\n In Victoria the Andrews government announced in June 2016 renewable energy targets of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025<\/a>. A reverse auction system will encourage delivery of up to 1500 megawatts (MW) of new large-scale renewable energy capacity by 2020 and up to 5400MW by 2025. It will create 11,000 two-year construction jobs plus ongong jobs and guaranteed income in regional Victoria. <\/p>\n Engie’s Hazelwood power station closure is due on 1st April 2017, which will reduce about 1600Mw from the grid. However, Engie’s Loy Yang B power station is about to undertake a turbine upgrade<\/a> to improve power generation capacity 8.6 per cent but decrease the intensity of emissions by 5 per cent. It will also increase the profitability of the power station.<\/p>\n Victorian Liberal leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Victorian Parliament said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cDaniel Andrews has set Victoria on the path to an energy security crisis. Unless we act, Victoria is bound to have regular South Australian-style blackouts because of Daniel Andrews. A Liberal Nationals Government I lead will scrap this unrealistic target so Victorians don\u2019t have repeated black-outs and higher electricity prices.\u201d<\/p>\n Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D\u2019Ambrosio responded: <\/p>\n \u201cMatthew Guy\u2019s plan will kill thousands of jobs, increase electricity prices and send emissions soaring. He\u2019s just shown every Victorian he\u2019s Malcolm\u2019s Guy, no matter how many jobs it costs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMalcolm Turnbull can\u2019t keep using renewables as a scapegoat \u2013 over the weekend NSW, one of the most coal dependent states in the world, came very close to a blackout.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how hard Malcolm Turnbull pushes, industry is saying that new coal-fired power stations won\u2019t be built. Business groups have slammed the proposal because it\u2019s bad for business and bad for the environment.\u201d said D’Ambrosio.<\/p>\n Significantly, today Lily D’Ambrosio launched the Latrobe Valley Home Energy Upgrade Program to target 1,000 homes in greatest need in the Latrobe City, Wellington and Baw Baw region. This will help finance energy efficiency and solar panel or hot water household upgrades of up to a value of $4,500. More than helping people in The Valley, it provides a boost to small local businesses focussed on energy efficiency and solar.<\/p>\n Helping up to 1,000 homes in greatest need in the Latrobe City, Wellington and Baw Baw region w household upgrades of up to $4,500 #springst<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/sDFgKOQWJw<\/a><\/p>\n — Lily D'Ambrosio MP (@LilyDAmbrosioMP) February 14, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe war of words on Victorian state renewable targets<\/h3>\n
\n