Remote access to renewables

Energy Minister Peter Collier this week said $27.5 million would be spent by state-owned regional energy utility Horizon Power to construct the two power stations by the end of July. The federal government will contribute $4.9 million to the project from its Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.

The two power stations will incorporate 2,250 solar panels generating 500 kilowatts of power, enough to power more than 200 homes and supply a third of the towns’ annual energy needs.

Though the individual components of the power stations are not new, it will be the first time such technology has been applied in conjunction with existing diesel-fired capacity.

Mr Collier said the decision to proceed would “continue the Liberal National government’s commitment to delivering a cleaner energy future for WA”.

However, Mr Collier was immediately accused of claiming credit for one of the renewable energy initiatives of the previous state Labor government.

Labor energy spokeswoman Kate Doust said both power stations had been announced and were fully funded by state Labor in the 2008-09 state budget to generate cleaner electricity for regional communities.

“While it is pleasing to see the Barnett government will continue Labor’s plan to build the new power stations, it is a bit rich for the minister to claim they are part of the Barnett government’s commitment to clean energy when in fact, this government has done very little to combat climate change,” she said.

While the state government aims to have 20 per cent of its energy needs met by renewable sources by 2020, Mr Collier last week told reporters the lack of progress by the previous state Labor government, which had initially signed up to the target, had made the task a tough one.

Mr Collier noted that renewable sources currently generated less than 5 per cent of the state’s total supply.

“To treble that inside a decade is going to be challenging, he said. “My biggest priority at this stage is to ensure that we make serious inroads to that renewable target, and I’m very confident that by the end of the year we will be able to put a big tick against that.”