Guy Barnett,Minister for Energy
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to Tasmania’s energy security and ensuring that our state continues to enjoy low cost, reliable and clean energy.
Tasmania’s renewable energy initiatives including Battery of the Nation and Marinus Link, will play a lead role in Tasmania and the nation’s economic recovery from COVID-19, driving business investment and creating thousands of local jobs, many in regional areas.
We welcome Hydro Tasmania’s release of a series of white papers which confirm Tasmania has what the rest of the country needs – affordable, reliable and clean energy.
Key findings include that Tasmania’s naturally favourable topography and existing hydropower system provide an ideal opportunity to develop the sort of cost-effective deep storage pumped hydro that Australia will need.
Our long duration storage options like pumped Hydro can help manage the national risk of future energy shortages, meaning Tasmania will play a critical role in supporting Australia’s transition to renewable energy.
Tasmania is the national leader in renewable energy generation, providing over 90 per cent of our electricity needs, and we remain on track to be 100 per cent renewable, by 2022.
The Tasmanian Government has also announced a target to double our renewable generation with a target of 200 per cent of our current needs by 2040.
This target, underpinned by our Battery of the Nation pumped hydro initiatives, new wind farm projects and the second interconnector, is part of our plan to produce and export renewable energy across the country, creating thousands of jobs and billions in investment for Tasmania and attracting more businesses and industries to our shores over the coming years.
The Government will also ensure Tasmanians only pay their fair share for what is strategic national infrastructure benefiting the nation and at last year’s COAG energy Council we agreed to task the Energy Security Board to prepare advice on a fair cost allocation methodology for interconnectors.
Our priority is to create Tasmanian jobs, drive local investment and deliver Tasmanian residents and businesses the lowest regulated electricity prices in the nation, which is why we continue to back renewable energy projects.
