THE CLIMATE COUNCIL welcomes Victoria's new Renewable Energy Storage Target as a great example of what governments can do to unlock more investment in clean, affordable and reliable energy as Australia drives towards being fully powered by renewables.
Dr Jennifer Rayner, Head of Advocacy, Climate Council, said: "Victoria is leading by example in setting a target for renewable energy storage, which is an essential component of a flexible, reliable and clean energy system.
"With its new target of 2.6 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity by 2030, Victoria will bring online as much reliable, despatchable capacity as a large coal-fired power station.
"This goes to show that clean, affordable renewables backed up by storage can meet our energy needs. We don't need to keep dirty coal-fired power stations as backup any more when batteries and other renewable forms of storage like pumped hydro can do the job more cheaply, reliably and cleanly."
Dr Rayner added that Victoria's investment in boosting energy storage will quickly deliver multiple benefits including a boost to renewable energy investment, lower power bills, thousands of jobs, and even faster emissions reductions, which Victoria has already slashed at double its target rate since 2005.
"Action on climate change is action on cost of living, and Victoria is leading on both with this announcement today. We urge other Energy Ministers around the country to also back clean, cheap renewable power, by coordinating to deliver a National Renewable Energy Storage Target," Dr Rayner said.
