Latest news with #VictorianTransmissionPlan
AU Financial Review
15 hours ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Renewables companies blast Victorian transition plan
Australia's top clean energy companies have poured scorn on Victoria's new renewables rollout plan, which they say will threaten the state's energy security by stifling their ability to bring on new power projects before the closure of coal-fired generators. The multibillion-dollar Victorian Transmission Plan, unveiled by Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio in May, is the government's 15-year road map to replace the state's ageing coal-fired power generations with renewable alternatives.
Sky News AU
7 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action boss John Bradley abruptly quits amid green shift woes
Victoria's top energy and climate official has abruptly called it quits as pressure builds on the state's energy transition that has been riddled with issues over recent years. John Bradley, the secretary of Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action since September 2017, sent an internal note stating he had informed Premier Jacinta Allan of his resignation. 'I've offered to remain in my role until the end of September, but will work with the Premier and secretary of DPC to confirm the transition arrangements,' Mr Bradley said in a note, per The Australian. 'Our DEECA staff tend to be on the 'front line' of big challenges. I know your work may often feel rewarding but it will not often feel 'easy'.' His resignation sparked an attack from Victoria's shadow energy minister David Davis who slammed Labor's energy policies. 'Prices have surged for gas and electricity with another gas price surge of almost seven per cent due on Tuesday next week, and electricity prices far higher than just a few years ago," Mr Davis told "Security of supply for both gas and electricity is also a serious challenge for Victoria after Labor's stint in government. 'The offshore wind debacle, and Labor's ideological commitment to a war on gas, have all contributed to serious looming challenges. 'The shoddy costing of the Victorian Transmission Plan, and the draconian and undemocratic approach to enforcing the Allan Labor Government's Transmission Plan, would give rise to concern by any wise, experienced, and independent senior public servant." Mr Bradley's resignation comes as the state attempts to reach 40 per cent renewables in its energy mix this year, 65 per cent by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035. The ambitious targets are complicated by the state's plans to wind back gas - which were reversed this week following widespread backlash. The policy was part of a wider push to install electric heating models into homes. Additional strain on the state's energy mix may come from its plans to shut down its major coal power stations, including Yallourn, over the coming years. Mr Bradley said he would facilitate a smooth transition while the DEECA team continues on the state's net-zero path. 'I know this change comes at a busy time when our DEECA team members are working hard on delivery priorities, our big work program for 2025/26 and the drought response,' he said. 'I look forward to the chance to see you before I finish up.' While Victoria flip-flops on gas, the state continues to have the highest use of residential gas in Australia, with an estimated 80 per cent of homes still connected to the gas network. It was recently criticised by the bosses of two major Australian energy companies, with the boss of Santos likening Victoria's handling of gas development and its attitude towards investment to North Korea. Meanwhile, Beach Energy CEO Brett Woods said getting gas projects approved in Victoria had 'been a challenge'. 'Victoria still have had quite a negative policy in terms of what the role of gas is in the state,' Mr Woods said on Sky News' Business Weekend. 'I think the recognition now, with industry shutting down and foreclosures and other things, (is) that they need more gas. 'We're ready to help, we just want to get after our projects so we can move them forward.' has reached out to DEECA for comment.
Sky News AU
09-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Chris Uhlmann slams renewable energy targets, saying ‘great lie' of government energy agendas ‘has to be exposed'
Sky News Political Contributor Chris Uhlmann has called out what he described as the 'great lie' of renewable energy targets, as questions linger over a state government's controversial renewables plan. Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio has admitted the full cost of a multibillion-dollar renewable energy plan to be rolled out by the state government is not yet known. When asked whether the $4.3 billion figure for the plan detailed last month could actually be closer to $20 billion, the Minister remained tight-lipped over the cost and how energy prices could be affected, the Australian Financial Review reported. 'This is not about being dishonest, if that's what you're implying,' Ms D'Ambrosio said on Friday, according to the AFR. 'If we don't build transmission, I can tell you what happens. People's lights go out and power prices will go through the roof. 'People need to understand that transmission is an investment that facilitates the build of replacement electricity.' Speaking to Sky News host Peta Credlin on Monday evening, Mr Uhlmann took aim at renewable energy agendas in the face of the controversial Victorian government plan. 'We've seen it around the world Peta, everywhere you put in large-scale deployment of wind and solar, two things happen: the grid becomes more fragile and electricity prices soar,' he said. 'I see Lily D'Ambrosio saying that it's not going to be $20 billion, but can't say how much it's going to be, and of course, those transmission lines that she's left out of the equation probably come to around about $16 billion. So what do we know about that? We know that 9 per cent of your electricity bill is the transmission costs.' Mr Uhlmann then pointed to the federal Labor government's renewables policy, which has also drawn has drawn heavy criticism over significant project costs. 'It's interesting now that the federal Labour Party has stopped saying that people's electricity bills will go down,' he said. 'The great lie in all of this has to be exposed and that is it will be neither greener nor cheaper and the system will certainly be more fragile. 'That's the energy future which is on offer because of the policy decisions of state and federal governments.' The Victorian government VicGrid body's 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan includes proposed onshore renewable energy zones, which have been identified as suitable to host renewable energy projects. "The Victorian Transmission Plan is necessary to keep the lights on and keep energy costs affordable as Victoria's coal-fired power stations close," a state government statement on the plan's draft announcement said.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Farmers may lock the gate on renewables in Victoria
The Victorian government is pushing ahead with its long-term plan to transition to renewable energy, while farmers in the path of proposed projects have vowed to lock out developers. Government authority VicGrid released its draft 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan late last week, outlining a 15-year plan to move away from coal. It outlined seven priority renewable energy generation zones, a shoreline zone in Gippsland and four new transmission lines to be built over the next 15 years, with 970 turbines and 5.2 million solar panels expected to be added in that time. Ross Johns's Wimmera farm sits within one of Victoria's proposed renewable energy zones, north of Horsham in the state's west. Mr Johns, president of the Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association, said most farmers were unequivocally opposed to new renewables projects and transmission lines on farmland. "The government has to build this through what I would say is enemy territory, and I think it's going to be extraordinarily difficult," he said. Mr Johns said farmers felt abandoned by the state government and were also at war with it over its emergency services and volunteers levy. "This government has totally disregarded regional Victoria and totally disregarded farmers' rights and the importance of agriculture to the Victorian economy," he said. In the state's east at Giffard West, south of Sale, farmer Trent Anderson said sentiments were similar in his community. "We know everyone needs the power but this VicGrid, government push is just garbage," he said. Mr Anderson said an underground powerline was previously planned for his region, but that was being replaced with an overhead line under the new plan. "We will deal in really good faith with all the companies working on underground [transmission lines]," he said. "The whole point of this is that we're sick of everything changing all the time." VicGrid chief executive Alistair Parker acknowledged the broad opposition to renewables infrastructure on farmland, but said the impact would be limited. The planned renewable energy zones cover about 7 per cent of the state, but Mr Parker said only about 11 per cent of the land would be needed for development. Renewables projects are permitted outside the zones, but VicGrid said they must not "have a negative impact on other projects inside the zone". Mr Parker said the new transmission lines would be built on existing easements where possible. He said VicGrid was "committed to working with people and listening to what they value most in the landscape". Ultimately, landowners cannot block transmission lines on their land. But Mr Parker said they had the right to refuse wind and solar projects. "People are obviously really distressed in some communities about this sort of industrial infrastructure," he said. Renewable Energy Alliance national director Andrew Bray said listening to communities was key to establishing social licence around the transmission plan. "We're actually quite pleased to see the government engaging in a way that really allows lots of feedback loops for the community to be involved," said Mr Bray, whose independent not-for-profit was working with regional communities on the shift to renewables. The Transmission Plan will be open to feedback until June 24, before a final plan is published on July 31. Additional reporting by Warwick Long and Danielle Pope.
