Queensland brings its attention to renewable sources of energy

A large-scale renewable energy revolution is occurring in Queensland. The Government of Queensland, Australia, has announced the Powering Queensland’s Future Plan – its commitment to deliver affordable and stable power for Queensland households, businesses and industry, while acting on climate change. Wind farms are planned across mountain tablelands and an innovative pumped storage project is taking shape where miners once dug for gold. Solar reserve, the global leader in solar power is extending its supports to the initiative taken by the government. Solar Reserve has commercialized a proprietary advanced solar thermal technology with integrated energy storage that solves the intermittency issues experienced with other renewable energy sources. The company currently has more than $1.8 billion of projects in operation worldwide, with development and long-term power contracts for 775 megawatts (MW) of solar projects representing $3.4 billion of project capital.

With the pledge of $50 million in funding for solar thermal, along with a publicly owned generation company that will deliver up to 1,000 megawatts of renewable projects by 2025, through mechanisms including signing power purchase agreements, the Queensland Government is establishing a policy framework that will facilitate investment in solar thermal projects in the State. This has been supported by the company's contract which was a long-term Generation Project Agreement (GPA) with the South Australian Government to build the 150 megawatt Aurora solar thermal power station with 8 hours of energy storage near the town of Port Augusta, South Australia. The company is expected to deliver up to 900 megawatts of fully dispatchable firm renewable electricity, creating up to 24,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in the country.