The Queensland Government announced the State is on track to reach its energy target of 50% renewable energy by 2030, with over 25% of its energy supply now powered by renewables.
With the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan in full swing, the State Government estimated that the State would connect an additional 682MW of new renewable energy before Christmas 2023.
“Queensland remains on track to reach our 2023 renewable energy and emissions reduction target thanks to our partnerships with investors and landholders,” Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said.
Minister de Brenni explained that long-term reductions in wholesale power prices would be seen as renewables take over the wholesale electricity market, with the CSIRO’s most recent GenCost Report reiterating that renewables are the cheapest type of energy.
“But we can only do this by transitioning away from coal and gas generation, which continues to set the wholesale electricity market and drive electricity prices up for Queenslanders,” Minister de Brenni continued.
Queensland’s renewable energy supply has expanded by more than 20% in only one year and by more than 250% in eight years due to the growing use of renewable energy, which is made possible by large-scale investment and international collaborations.
As part of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, legislation with renewable energy objectives of 50% by 2030, 70% by 2032, and 80% by 2035 will be passed to guarantee that all Queenslanders have access to cleaner, dependable, and affordable power for future generations.
“We will see further opportunity for local businesses, and a significant economic uplift for regional and rural communities as we continue towards our targets and enshrine the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan in law,” Minister de Brenni added.
