Senator Scott Ludlam shows Greens proposal for Collie as renewable energy zone

Greens propose Collie as renewable energy zone Sept. 4, 2013,By By Mackenzie Dixon http://www.colliemail.com.au/story/1753791/greens-propose-collie-as-renewable-energy-zone/?cs=1191 Sept. 4, 2013 GREENS Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam was in Collie Monday to give a presentation on the Greens proposal to turn Collie into a renewable energy zone….. Mr Ludlam was joined by representatives from research organisation Sustainable Energy Now to outline the Greens Energy 2029 plan, which looks to making WA a 100 per cent renewable energy state.

“I do hope this brings a conversation about a transition to a form of economic development that’s not premised on depleting non-renewable resources” said Sen. Ludlam during his presentation.

“We’ve struggled in past decades with four key problems to getting renewable energy up and running – the cost associated, the risk of investment, network access and the fact that it’s not always on when you need it.

“But those things are becoming less problematic, the cost is lowering, there’s specific entities who invest in renewable energy, priorities are changing when it comes to allowing access to the network and we are making leaps and bounds when it comes to energy being there when you need it.

“The number of jobs that would be created in Collie depends on the mix of renewable energies that end up being deployed. “For example, if 800 megawatts of biomass capacity is installed in Collie this would ensure around 1200 ongoing jobs in operations and maintenance in Collie, as well as many thousands more jobs during the construction phase.

“We also recognise that Collie has good sun and wind energy resources, and if deployed in Collie under one of the scenarios we propose, these other forms of energy generation would each create hundreds more local, highly skilled jobs.”