No costings yet for Northern Territory’s 50 per cent renewables goal

Despite being less than nine years away, the NT government hasn’t yet finished calculating the cost of its 2030 goal of 50 per cent of power coming from renewable sources.

THE department responsible for turbocharging the Northern Territory’s renewable energy transition doesn’t know how much it will cost the taxpayer.

The NT has a target of generating 50 per cent of its energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030, less than nine years away.

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But in NT Estimates on Thursday, Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler claimed the costing for the Territory’s transition was still in progress.

“The cost is not only going to be borne by government because industry is embracing solar,” Ms Lawler said.

A territory worker installing Solar panels in the NT. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

“The cost of renewables is actually cheaper, and there’s research from the CSIRO and a number of sources which talks about the cost-benefit.”

The NT News understands costings of the NT government’s policy will be released in quarter three of 2021-22.

CLP infrastructure spokesman Gerard Maley said he feared the government would “hand over a blank cheque” to make the target a reality.

Mr Maley also said a report into the renewables program, which cost $218,768 and was entirely redacted when obtained under freedom of information to the NT News and Sky News, should be publicly released.

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Originally published as No costings yet for Northern Territory’s 50 per cent renewables goal