New laws to enshrine Queensland’s exit from coal-fired power
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan to dump coal-fired power by 2035 and reach a new renewables target of 80 per cent will be locked-in under laws introduced to state parliament on Tuesday.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan to dump coal-fired power by 2035 and reach a new renewables target of 80 per cent will be locked-in under laws introduced to state parliament on Tuesday.
Draft laws mandate public ownership of energy assets does not drop below 54 per cent and guarantees jobs for 900 workers at government-owned coal fired power stations during the transition to renewables.
The state’s $62bn energy plan, which Ms Palaszczuk has said is “concrete”, relies heavily on the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project, which has not yet been subjected to detailed engineering and environmental investigations.
The mega pumped hydro project, near Mackay, has not received any government approvals and the state government will not make a final investment decision until mid-2024.
Government modelling of alternate options if Pioneer-Burdekin is not approved, includes battery storage which Energy Minister Mick de Brenni has said “presents a prohibitive cost and technology barrier”.
As of June, 26 per cent of Queensland’s energy consumption was sourced from renewables. Under new laws, that will rise to 50 per cent by 2030 and, 70 per cent by 2032, and 80 per cent by 2035.
As part of the plan to end Queensland’s reliance on coal power by 2035, generators will be converted to clean energy hubs, but be kept as “backup capacity” until replacement pumped hydro energy storage is operational and reliable.
Ms Palaszczuk told parliament Queensland was the first state to legislate public ownership and mandate a jobs guarantee.
“This is about guaranteeing the future of our planet, the future of our young people who are so passionate about these issues,” she said.
“If you think about the transformation in terms of Queensland, the most reliant on coal-fired over so many years transitioning to a clean green renewable energy future, this is what being in government is about.”
One year out from the next state election, Ms Palaszczuk took aim at the Liberal National Party on its energy plans.
“Those opposite are silent when it comes to what they are going to do when it comes to renewable energy, that test is coming,” she said.
“They will have the opportunity to vote on our plan when it is legislated in this Queensland parliament.”
LNP Energy spokesman Pat Weir said the party had not decided whether it would vote in favour of the draft laws, and would make a decision after it is investigated by a parliamentary committee.
The LNP has matched Labor’s pledge of net-zero emissions in Queensland by 2050, but is yet to detail how it would achieve the target.
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