The state of Queensland appears ready to embark on what could be
one of the most radical transformations of its electricity network
ever undertaken – even by standards of ambitious mandates in
places such as California, Germany and Denmark.
The newly elected state Labor government came into power with a
policy for 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030. That may have
sounded radical at the time, but in the context of the upcoming
climate talks in Paris, and the pledges being made at a global,
national and sub-national level, it now seems less so.
But that's not to underestimate the challenge of what it
proposes. If the Labor government holds true to that promise, that
will require around 25,000GWh of renewable energy by that time, or
the construction of up to 7,000MW of renewable energy capacity in
just 15 years.
