The advice identifies a number of opportunities and issues for future development of renewable energy in Tasmania, and is based on four strategic development themes:

  • Promoting ‘utility scale’ development
  • Promoting distributed and embedded generation development
  • Promoting renewable energy research development and demonstration
  • Fuelling the economy with renewable energy.

Tasmanian Minister for Economic Development, David O’Byrne, said work on some actions from the Board’s advice would begin in the shorter term, although a number of elements will require further consideration, given their significance and wide ranging impacts. Progress has already being made on some projects informed by the Board’s advice, including:

  • Site works associated with Hydro Tasmania’s three year $40.9 million King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project will start in September 2011
  • Consideration of the first of eight well-advanced loan applications for the $30 million Renewable Energy Loan Scheme, including projects involving solar, wind, mini-hydro and gas produced from the ‘bio-digestion’ of biomass
  • The Tasmanian Planning Commission is working to maximise the number of renewable energy projects that meet planning scheme requirements without the need for a more costly and longer discretionary planning and approval process.