“I honestly believe it will be one of our proudest legacies in the decades to come,” Palaszczuk said during her annual state of the state speech in Brisbane on Wednesday,at which she revealed details of the 10-year plan.
“We are facing a climate emergency. We are facing a period that’s extraordinary in all of our lifetimes ... but we need to do more – much,much more – than understand the effects of climate change. We need to do much more than talk about it.”
Key elements of the plan include at least 25 gigawatts of new and existing renewable energy,including stage one of what was described as the “largest pumped hydro energy storage in the world” – west of Mackay in central Queensland – by 2032,and another pumped hydroelectricity plant atBorumba Dam on the Sunshine Coast.
The state’s eight coal-fired power stations will be transitioned to “clean energy hubs” between 2027 and 2035 – up to a decade earlier than expected – while a new “gas to hydrogen” station will be built at Kogan Creek.
This process will be aided by a charter for coal power workers and a jobs security guarantee – signed by the government,state-owned energy companies and unions on Wednesday – to provide opportunities for continued work and training.
The government will also introduce legislation this year to enact an 80 per cent renewable energy target by 2035. There will be additional emission reduction targets for the electricity sector of 50 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030,and 90 per cent by 2035-36.