Dear Mr Smith,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me. You’re absolutely right – Lord Howe Island is a wonderful place. I am very proud that this beautiful part of Australia is in my electorate.
The energy transition is real, and it is happening right now. Lord Howe Island has already embraced renewable energy – and there’s more to come.
The Hybrid Renewable Energy Project is in train. It has set out to reduce Lord Howe Island’s reliance on diesel power generation by at least 67 per cent, thus reducing fuel costs and the reliance on fossil fuels.
The design to achieve this goal, currently proven by simulation and modelling, incorporates a 1.3MWp solar power-generating unit, and a 1MW/3.7MWh Battery Energy Storage System integrated with the existing Diesel generation system via a Tesla Microgrid controller.
Lord Howe Island is part of a nationwide transition to renewable energy. Across the country we’re seeing it in the 25 per cent increase in renewable energy in our electricity grid.
Our government has ticked off over 55 renewable energy projects that will power about seven million homes. We are on track to deliver more than 420 community batteries across the nation. The program will provide shared storage for up to 100,000 households, empowering communities to reap the benefits of the renewable energy transformation.
Peter Dutton and the Coalition’s nuclear plan is a fantasy. Their plan means spending over $600 billion of taxpayers’ money on the most expensive form of energy, that would be delivered in 20 years’ time and only deliver four per cent of our energy needs. A lot to pay and a long time to wait for very little energy. Australia and Lord Howe Island don’t have that time.
According to the independent experts at the CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator, nuclear is the most expensive form of energy to build, at up to eight times as expensive as renewables.
Besides, the market has already decided. Major energy producers like AGL and major industrial users like Tomago say it will never stack up.
Aside from the expense, delay and incompatibility with our energy system, it obviously wouldn’t help Lord Howe Island, which needs to generate its own power.
Yours sincerely, Tanya Plibersek