RePower Alice Springs welcomes the opportunity for a solar powered future for our town with the announcement of the new NT Cabinet this week.
Whilst in opposition the NT Labor Party made a commitment to a 50% renewable energy target by 2030, the development of a Roadmap to Renewables, the establishment of a Renewable Energy Unit and has promised investment into research, a Centre for Excellence for Solar Energy and roof top solar for schools.
RePower Alice Springs is an Alice Springs community group that formed in February in response to the previous NT Government announcement of a $75m investment in gas fired power for our town, with no consideration and investment into renewable energy.
“RePower Alice Springs has been incredibly successful in getting solar and renewable energy back on the agenda in the Northern Territory,” said group spokesperson Glenn Marshall. “The previous government’s decision to wage a war against renewables has seriously backfired, and we look forward to working with the new Northern Territory government in which we hope is a more progressive era for the Territory.”
“Whilst we welcome the renewable energy target of 50% for the Territory, Alice Springs is one of the sunniest places in the planet with a small isolated electricity grid. We will be encouraging the new NT Government to have more aspirational targets for our town and go 100% solar. We have substantial current gas generation installed and this will provide a back up for as long as it is required to transition to 100% solar/renewable generation,” said Glenn Marshall.
“The ACT have recently made a commitment to go 100% renewable energy by 2020, and we are seeing communities, councils, states and even whole countries working towards that same goal. As the rest of the world moves towards embracing renewable energy to keep global warming to below 2 degrees there is going to be so much innovation in the renewable energy sector. We have fantastic expertise here in Alice Springs, and whilst we have some ground to make-up we can still be world leaders in the energy sector.”
“RePower Alice Springs members we have a lot of passion and expertise within this area and we look forward to working with the NT Government towards a solar powered future for our town,” said Glenn Marshall.