Antinuclear

Community energy projects take off: Climate Council urges leadership for rural areas

Climate Council urges bigger push towards renewables as community energy projects take off, ABC Radio AM By regional affairs reporter Lucy Barbour The Climate Council says a growing trend of rural communities setting up their own wind and solar farms could generate thousands of jobs in regional Australia.

The council’s latest report, on the impact of climate change on rural Australia, says rural communities will continue to be affected by worsening extreme weather events such as bushfires and drought.

But the report’s co-author, Will Steffen, said community-owned energy was one way to adapt.

“You have to have some leaders in your community that can actually get on top of the issue and say, ‘look, forget about federal politics or whatever side you’re on, this is good for our community’,” he said.

There are currently 20 community energy projects operating across the country, but Peter Fraser from Goulburn in southern New South Wales, said there was the potential for many more.

Mr Fraser is part of a group trying to build a $2.6 million community solar farm which, he said, would provide investors with a 5 per cent return on investment.

“It will be 1.2 MW. It will have about 4,000 panels of solar voltaic and it will generate enough electricity to power perhaps 300 to 400 homes in Goulburn,” he said.

Mr Fraser said investors would buy the solar equipment, pay for the connections to the grid and then sell the electricity to those who want it……….

The Climate Council’s report points out that many regional communities are working towards 100 per cent renewable energy goals, and estimates 28,000 jobs could be created if half of Australia’s energy came from renewables by 2030.

Professor Steffen said more than half of those would be in regional areas…….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-09/climate-council-says-community-renewable-energy-on-rise/7702866?section=environment

August 10, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy