The Victorian Labor Government has secured the State Electricity Commission (SEC) in the state’s Constitution, ensuring public renewables ownership cannot be abolished by future governments.
The Constitution Amendment (SEC) Bill 2023, which passed the Victorian Parliament, guarantees public ownership of renewable energy assets in the state for the future.
According to the Victorian Labor Government, this move provides the SEC with the certainty to continue accelerating the transition to renewable energy, ensuring that all Victorians benefit from the shift towards clean power.
“Now, the SEC is here to stay – ensuring Victorians can benefit from publicly owned renewable energy for decades to come,” Victoria’s Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio said.
“This will give the SEC the certainty it needs to power on with Victoria’s renewable energy transition, putting the power back in the hands of Victorians, creating thousands of jobs and slashing power bills.”
The Labor Government claims it aims to keep power generation in public hands by enshrining the SEC in the Constitution, with all profits generated by the SEC reinvested into renewable energy projects.
This strategy is expected to create 59,000 jobs, including 6,000 traineeships and apprenticeships, across Victoria, bolstering the state’s renewable energy workforce.
The SEC has already hit the ground running, with construction underway on its first project – the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, a 600-megawatt big battery capable of storing enough energy to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.
This project is the first of many, with the SEC set to deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power through new renewable energy and storage projects, enough to power over 1.5 million homes.
In addition to its renewable energy projects, the SEC is also offering a home electrification digital planner to help Victorians switch to electric appliances and save on their energy bills.
Within its first month, the planner attracted over 3,000 users, demonstrating the public’s trust in the SEC’s ability to deliver cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions.
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