The Morrison Government will help the Daintree Rainforest community establish Australia’s first solar to hydrogen-based microgrid.
Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor today announced a grant of $990,150 for the Daintree Renewable Energy Pty Ltd to take the 100 per cent renewable project to ‘shovel ready’ within 12 months.
He said the money has been allocated in this year’s budget under the government’s $50.4 million Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund.
“Under the program, the government will support up to 50 off-grid and fringe-of-grid communities to investigate whether establishing a microgrid is cost-effective, and whether existing off-grid capabilities can be upgraded with modern technology,” Minister Taylor said.
“The proposed microgrid will store energy generated by new and existing solar panels by converting it to hydrogen, generating reliable power and reducing the World Heritage Area’s reliance on diesel fuel to generate power, with consumption currently estimated at around 4 million litres of diesel per annum.
“The grant will also support investigation of new ownership and funding models for the deployment of the Daintree microgrid.”
Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said he gave the Daintree community a firm commitment he would help them find a solution to their power needs,
“This is absolutely fantastic news for the environmentally-conscious Daintree community,” Mr Entsch said
“Far North Queenslanders, especially those living in the Daintree, are extremely passionate about their natural environment and this announcement is a big win for the entire region.
“This is about listening, acting and delivering for the Daintree community.”
The Regional and Remote Communities Fund is part of the Morrison Government’s $2 billion plan to deliver more affordable and reliable power to Australian families and businesses.
The Fund compliments the Australian Energy Market Commission’s review of the regulatory arrangements for microgrids, which was initiated by the Government in August 2018.
Moving some remote customers to off-grid supply is expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in network costs and reduce bushfire risks, while delivering more affordable and reliable power for regional and remote communities.
Power prices in Far North Queensland are unsustainable and unacceptable.
The Palaszczuk Labor Government is responsible, owning 70 per cent of the state’s generators and is profiting to the tune of $1.65b from Queensland households.
Queensland Labor are essentially using Far North Queenslanders like cash cows and taxing them by stealth via their power bills.
The Morrison Government is taking strong action to lower energy costs for Queenslanders.
Our energy policies will invest over $2 billion into new projects and programs that will drive down the price of energy.
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