Queensland Prime Minister Anastasia Palaszczuk has moved to allay concerns that Australians could lose their jobs under the government’s ambitious clean energy plan.
The Labor government’s A$62 billion (US$39.59 billion) plan includes a commitment to create 100,000 new jobs by 2040.
“Every worker currently working in a coal-fired power plant will absolutely have a job guarantee as we move into this clean and green industrial revolution,” she told reporters on Sept. 29. .
“We are building two new hydroelectric dams, huge power grids up and down the east coast of the state, and are investing billions of dollars in wind farms, solar farms, hydrogen, and batteries. will be done,” she said.
In the past, concerns have been raised about what jobs will be created in the green energy industry.
Cian Hussey, an adjunct fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, warned that field jobs don’t always pay higher wages than occupations in manufacturing and mining.
“Policies such as Net Zero are replacing full-time, high-paying jobs with part-time, low-paying jobs,” he wrote in The Epoch Times.
“Accenture Report [on clean energy jobs] The phrase “Clean exports include industries that employ more people per dollar of revenue than the current fossil fuel industry” applies. Such companies may pay lower wages to their workers. ”
On September 28, Palaszczuk announced the State Energy Plan, including overhauling the grid so that 70% of the state’s electricity demand will be supplied by renewable energy by 2032 and 80% by 2035. Revealed bold plans for the future. Currently, about 75% of the state’s electricity comes from coal-fired power plants.
As part of the plan, the government will push forward the construction of two pumped-storage hydropower dams, one at Pioneer-Burdekin and one at Borumba, by 2035. A new “supergrid” connecting solar, wind, battery and hydrogen generators across a vast state. Build 11.5 gigawatts of rooftop solar and 6 gigawatts of embedded batteries and shut down coal-fired power plants by 2035 (excluding renewable generator backup).
The decision to invest heavily in renewable power generation comes amid continued increases in Queensland electricity prices.
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Daniel Y. Teng is based in Sydney. His focus is on national politics such as federal politics, the COVID-19 response and Australia-China relations. Any tips? Please contact [email protected].