The Liberal minority government has allowed Tasmania’s reputation to take another hit as South Australia has become Australia’s leader in renewables.
New research from Renew Economy using data from OpenNem shows that only 68.6 per cent of Tasmania’s electricity demand was met through renewable sources since the new financial year, and just 66.2 per cent in the month of July.
Tasmania’s decline is a direct result of the Liberals’ failure to deliver more renewables to the state. During a dry winter, Hydro was forced to fire up the combined cycle gas turbine at the Tamar Valley Power Station for the first time since 2019.
Despite having the best wind resource in the country, a great incentive for companies to invest in building wind farms in Tasmania, the minority Liberal government have made Tasmania the hardest place in the country to build one. It’s now four years since the last windfarm came online in Tasmania*.
Tasmania was widely regarded as Australia’s leader in renewables thanks to our legacy of hydro developments over generations, but over the past ten years the Liberals have squandered that status, risked $25 billion of renewable energy projects, and threatened thousands of safe, secure, well-paid jobs.
Just a week ago, Woodside Energy pulled the pin on their hydrogen plans at Bell Bay, the third major hydrogen project the Liberals have failed to secure following the departure of Fortescue Future Industries and Origin.
Before leaving the state, Andrew Forrest said FFI was told there was no power available to them at any price.
Hydro Tasmania admits at least 11 other proponents were told the same thing.
Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberals have pretty much declared Tasmania is closed for business and companies should take their projects and their private capital elsewhere.
Labor wants to make Tasmania the easiest place to do business, and we want to see more opportunities created for Tasmanians in the economy by leveraging our natural renewable energy advantage.
*Granville Harbour Wind Farm became fully operational on December 18, 2020
Janie Finlay MP
Shadow Minister for Energy & Renewables
