NSW Far South Coast clean energy industry could make it a state renewable energy superpower. That’s according to a new report from the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
The Repowering our Regions report found the region could also help replace the state’s five coal-burning power stations with clean energy by 2030.
The report found adopting a clean energy focus could potentially:
- Create and sustain up to 2,100 jobs;
- Stimulate $4.5 billion in investment;
- Generate enough electricity to power 2 million homes;
- Offset 9.2 million tonnes of carbon pollution; and
- Help households save $410 a year.
Renewables could be ‘a new pillar of the economy’
The report found the region is already the state’s battery. It points out that pumped-hydro plants in the Kangaroo Valley and the Snowy Hydro are ready to store the state’s excess wind and solar generation.
Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said the region was on the cusp of a clean energy investment boom. She also indicated that renewable energy could become “a new pillar of the region’s economy”.
“The region could also play a major part in reducing the state’s climate pollution, which is driving dangerous climate change,” she told Bega District News.
Ms Smolski said enforceable targets set by the NSW government, the closure of coal-fired power stations and the creation of incentives for storage technologies like battery storage and pumped hydro are needed to create the savings and jobs predicted in the report.
South Coast Clean Energy for Eternity meeting in Bermagui
A public meeting hosted by grass-roots organisation Clean Energy for Eternity this weekend will discuss the potential for renewable energy. The group says the topic is especially relevant because of the region’s natural beauty.
Clean Energy for Eternity’s Matthew Nott said battery storage will be a “game changer” for the Far South Coast.
The organisation is also exploring the possibility of establishing a charging outlet for electric cars in the region.
“This would also be a useful attraction for visitors and a boost for local business and tourist numbers, as it complements the natural values evident in the area’s national parks,” Mr Nott said.
Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly will open the Clean Energy for Eternity meeting at the Bermagui Country Club on Sunday, December 10.
