A diverse alliance of organisations representing farming families, electricians, regional communities, and environmental groups has called for immediate investment in Australia’s power grid upgrades.
The newly formed coalition emphasises the critical need for major upgrades to existing transmission lines and the development of new grid infrastructure.
“Expanding the grid is critical to delivering a fair and fast energy transition. Transmission projects need to be properly coordinated and have social license opportunities as a built-in feature from the start,” Michael Wright, Electrical Trades Union National Secretary said.
“Fundamental to delivering that social license will be making sure these projects deliver regional communities with access to meaningful training, high quality local apprenticeships, and well-paid secure jobs.”
These improvements are seen as essential to replace aging coal plants with more cost-effective renewable energy sources and to help reduce energy bills.
The Alliance has released a comprehensive guide outlining the importance of grid investment. The document highlights various reasons for upgrading the national grid, ranging from lowering household energy costs to enhancing energy security. It also provides a set of principles for successfully building Australia’s future power infrastructure.
“Regional communities deserve to benefit from Australia’s shift to renewable energy, but without upgrades to our grid those benefits won’t flow,” Andrew Bray, RE-Alliance National Director said.
“Governments and industry need to support regional communities to be able to engage more directly in the changes that are happening to them – when community influence over decision-making is well reflected and respected, lasting legacies for local communities can be created.”
This initiative follows recent findings from energy consultancy Nexa Advisory. Its modelling indicates that continued delays in transmission upgrades are contributing to higher electricity bills for both households and businesses.
According to Nexa, these delays also pose risks to power reliability and may hinder the country’s ability to meet its emissions reduction targets.
“Our research is about the here and now and getting the transition away from coal done in as orderly a way as possible, so that it does not cost Australian families and businesses their financial future,” Stephanie Bashir, Nexa Advisory CEO said.
“Transmission is the missing link. The delays in transmission mean families and businesses will pay a lot more on their electricity bills. The Alliance we have set up plays an important role in bridging the gap on community understanding and acceptance of grid upgrades from a range of organisations which is critical to the shift to renewables.”
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