Despite having the best wind resource in the country, severe delays in building new windfarms has led to the Liberal-Lambie Coalition relying on gas to keep the lights on as energy storage levels continue to drop.

Tasmania’s latest energy data shows that over the last month, nearly a third of the state’s energy has come from coal and gas as mainland power is purchased to cope with low dam levels.

In June, gas powered more energy consumption than what was generated from wind.

The gas-powered Tamar Valley Power Station is a critical component of Tasmania’s energy mix, but with so many promising wind projects stuck in Liberal red-tape, we shouldn’t be relying on it as much as we are now.  

Under the Liberals, Tasmania has become the hardest place to build a windfarm in the nation. It’s now close to four years since the last windfarm came online in Tasmania.

The Liberals’ failure to deliver more renewables to the state has already cost Tasmania several major hydrogen projects after proponents were told there’s no power available at any price. It has also meant that at least a dozen major Tasmanian businesses have been told their investments can’t proceed until new energy projects are built.

Tasmania’s shortage of power is acting as a ‘closed for business’ sign for the state – risking our clean energy reputation, damaging our economy and costing our state thousands of safe, secure, well-paid jobs.

We need to see less hot air from this government on energy generation, and more action.

Janie Finlay MP
Shadow Minister for Energy & Renewables