Rewiring Australia has welcomed today's energy roundtable in Brisbane, which brought together the state government, industry and organisations to discuss how Queensland lowers bills and strengthens reliability.
Rewiring Australia's CEO Francis Vierboom attended the roundtable on Tuesday afternoon hosted by the Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetzki.
Other attendees included Genex Power, Jemena, Solar Citizens, the Smart Energy Council, Master Electricians Australia, the Queensland Renewable Energy Council and Farmers for Climate Action.
"Bringing so many players together to work through the challenges and find the best solutions for Queensland fosters the kind of collaboration we need to get a better deal for everyone," Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said.
"I congratulate the Queensland Government, and the Treasurer in particular, for bringing us all together to engage constructively with the sector," he said.
The discussions centered around changing energy demands, challenges and opportunities affecting private sector investment in energy, how to support regional communities hosting new energy infrastructure and how to successfully integrate community energy resources, such as neighbourhood batteries and smart EV charging, and how to ensure they benefit everyone.
"There are so many opportunities for Queensland, and discussions like this help unlock them. The sunshine state has the best opportunity to fully live up to its name. The state has abundant sun, and a lot of rooftop solar which can be utilised further to get cheaper and cleaner energy," Francis Vierboom said.
"We know households can save thousands per year if they switch to efficient electric home appliances and cars that run on solar and battery. Even better, maximising the electricity we generate in our communities can minimise the cost of the grid. There are a lot of savings to be gained from looking at systems that take advantage of our sun.
"We look forward to further talks with the Queensland Government about how they can support their residents to fully electrify," Francis Vierboom said.
Rewiring Australia modelling released earlier this year found households using gas appliances and petrol vehicles could save $61,500 over 15 years, or more than $4,000 a year on average, if they upgrade their appliances and vehicles to efficient, electric ones and get their power from a combination of rooftop solar, a home battery, and the existing electricity grid.
