Add Category
Queensland is set to become home to one of the largest wind farms in the Southern Hemisphere with the Queensland government announcing plans to double the size of the MacIntyre Wind Precinct, west of Warwick.
The wind precinct is already the biggest in Australia and will now increase by 180 to 360 turbines, bringing its output to 2,000 megawatts – enough to power 1.4 million Queensland homes.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said the project puts Queensland on track to meet the goals outlined in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, which aims to see Queensland hit 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032.
"[The plan] calls for 2,980 megawatts of new wind by the middle of this decade," he said.
"The projects that are under construction and announced today will deliver two thirds of those new wind resources required.
"This is a massive step forward for our renewable energy future."
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said he was not surprised by a Climate Council report released today that revealed Queensland suffered the most economic damage due to natural disasters.
"We are working right now to rebuild communities that were affected by the floods, and we know that as the climate continues to change Queensland will continue to be exposed, and that's why Queensland is doing our part to reduce our emissions," he said.
The Climate Council report also found that Queensland produces the most coal of any state.
When questioned on the Queensland government's plan to keep eight coal-fired power stations open past 2050, the deputy premier defended the state's reliance on coal.
"Eighty per cent of Queensland's coal is metallurgical coal, it's used for steelmaking," Mr Miles said.
"At this stage, we don't have a way to make these turbines without that coal.
"We will continue our effort to decarbonise our state's economy, but we will do it in a way that is responsible and in a way that makes a significant contribution to the global effort to address climate change."