Despite hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders having rooftop solar, a new report has revealed many are not fully aware of the scale of the nation’s move to renewables.
A Climate Council survey found half of the state was unaware of targets around renewable energy targets and closure timelines for coal-fired power stations.
Climate Councillor Greg Bourne said 50 percent of Queenslanders surveyed were unsure how much electricity renewables would generate by 2030, while only four percent correctly identified the target figure of 80-89 percent.
Mr Bourne said almost half (46 percent) were unsure when all coal-fired power stations would close, despite the 2040 timeline from the Australian Energy Market Operator.
“Almost one million Queensland households now have rooftop solar – that’s more than half of all the state’s households, yet a lot are surprised to learn that we’ve been building our solar and wind since the 1980s.”
He said large-scale solar and wind, backed by storage, could deliver reliable, low-cost power 24/7, keeping energy costs low as coal phases out.
“Expanding our renewable energy capacity will also unlock thousands of new jobs and economic opportunities, particularly in major regional centres like Gladstone, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, and Cairns.
“However, this lack of public awareness leaves room for misinformation to fester, delaying progress and undermining confidence in the transition.”
Mr Bourne said governments and energy companies had a responsibility to provide clear, accurate information about Australia’s renewable energy milestones and opportunities.
Other key findings:
- Fewer than one in three Aussies think the country is doing better than others, when Australia is the world leader in solar uptake per capita.
- There are already more than a quarter of a million battery storage systems providing renewable power to Australians, which 40 percent of Australians aren’t aware of.
- More than 100 wind farms and more than 100 solar farms are operating across Australia, yet 43 percent of Australians are not aware of any renewable energy projects in their state or region.
- Half of Australians don’t realise Australia is already using big batteries to store renewable energy with 36 big batteries up and running.
Read the full report: Electric Shock! Australia’s light-bulb moment.
