A Rewiring Australia plan to decarbonise Greater Brisbane, by electrifying the region's homes and vehicles and powering them with solar energy, would save the average household $4,700, generate more than 24,000 jobs and provide an overall annual economic benefit of $3.9 billion.
The plan will be launched at a digital town hall on Monday 9 May, with all political campaigns in the electorates of Brisbane and Longman invited to attend.
The plan shows how Greater Brisbane households can win financially, while propelling their community forward to a cleaner, healthier future.
Across the following electorates the benefit for jobs, household energy savings and overall economic gains - from replacing fossil fuelled devices with solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, induction stoves, electric vehicles and household and community batteries - amounts to:
Electorates |
|||
Brisbane |
Longman |
Griffith |
|
Number of households |
78,098 |
64,829 |
71,136 |
2030 savings across the electorate per year |
$285 million |
$304 million |
$297 million |
2030 money invested in local installations and maintenance jobs per year |
$18.3 million |
$16 million |
$17.1 million |
2030 direct and indirect jobs generated from installations and economic savings in the electorate |
1,800 |
1,900 |
1,800 |
"The shift to clean, cheap energy will be a massive economic boost to Greater Brisbane," Dr Griffith said. "If we make the necessary investment to seize the future it will look like more jobs for tradies, more money spent in local shops, cleaner air and healthier people.
"At the moment, $3.3 billion is being drained from the Greater Brisbane economy and winding up in the pocket of those who peddle fossil fuels. This empowers oligarchs and petro-states. But if we electrify and decarbonise we keep that money in the local community and make the world cleaner and safer.
"Electrifying our homes and vehicles is the fastest and cheapest path to decarbonising our domestic economy. Over a ten year period we could electrify the nation for roughly the same amount we currently spend subsidising fossil fuels.
A study released last year by Rewiring Australia found a $12 billion investment would retrofit 11 million Australian households for full electrification by 2030 leading to national savings of more than $40 billion and removing one-third of domestic carbon emissions.
"Electrification attacks the three huge national problems - climate heating, cost of living and national security. We invite all candidates to embrace the initiative."
