THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Cabinet Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
MEDIA RELEASE
SOLAR POWER SYSTEM THE BIGGEST IN AUSTRALIA
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Mark Dreyfus visited the University of Queensland's (UQ) St Lucia campus for a tour of the southern hemispheres biggest solar array that will save 1750 tonnes of carbon pollution each year.
During the tour of the facility, Mr Dreyfus met with university officials to discuss the $10 billion investment in clean energy the Gillard Government announced as part of the Clean Energy Future package.
UQ has positioned itself as a major provider of solar research expertise and infrastructure. It is further evidence of the skills and knowledge Australia has that will be turbo-charged with the investment this Government is making, Mr Dreyfus said.
UQ's flat-panel photovoltaic solar power system is capable of producing 1750 MWh of electricity a year and is almost 25 per cent larger than any other rooftop system in Australia. The solar array will be part of UQ's functional energy infrastructure and will underpin research in diverse fields including physics, engineering, economics and sustainability.
The measures and programs announced as part of the Clean Energy Future package will transform our economy and our energy sector and support further research and development like that at UQ, Mr Dreyfus said.
This transformation will drive around $100 billion in investment in the renewables sector over the period to 2050. This means the creation of new jobs as well as allowing all Australians to benefit from the security of improved energy efficiency.
The rest of the world is already acting. China is now the worlds largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines and has the most renewable energy generation capacity of any country.
We have some of the worlds best wind resources, and the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world we cannot be left behind, Mr Dreyfus said.
The Government recently announced that $464 million has been awarded to Solar Dawn, a solar thermal power station to be built in Chinchilla in Queensland. UQ is a project partner.
Thanks to this Governments vision for a sustainable Australia, the future for renewable energy is looking brighter, Mr Dreyfus said.
Further information about the Government's plan for a Clean Energy Future and carbon price announcement is available at www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au
FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2011
