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SA increases its renewable energy target
5 June 2009

South Australia Premier Mike Rann said this week that the state’s budget will outline plans to create an even greater renewable industry in South Australia, and to increase the state’s renewable energy production target to 33 per cent by 2020.

Rann, who is also Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change, and Economic Development, announced a new $20 million Renewable Energy Fund to accelerate investment in the sector.

“We already lead the nation in renewable energy production, but we want to create a new industry in South Australia so we become Australia’s green energy powerhouse,” Rann said. “Our fund will help foster innovation and investment in renewable technology, to create green jobs in a renewable energy industry alongside our defence and mining sectors.”

The first project to be funded from the Renewable Energy Fund will be the South Australian Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Research at the University of Adelaide, which will receive $1.6 million over two years.

The new Centre is a natural outcome of the concentration of geothermal investment into South Australia.

Recommendations on the application of remaining funds will come from the new RenewablesSA Board, lead by Bruce Carter, the Chair of the Economic Development Board.

Rann said the Economic Development Board identifies renewable energy as an important industry for South Australia’s economic future and that it will also support the state government’s new target, which aims for one-third of South Australia’s electricity generation to come from renewable energy by 2020.

The projections stem from the Rudd Government’s request that every state reach a 20 per cent target for renewable electricity generation by 2020, Rann said, adding that South Australia intended to reach the 20 per cent target well before 2020.

“We are going to reach our target ahead of our 2014 deadline, so we’re now announcing an even tougher target of 33 per cent by 2020.

“South Australia is home to 56 per cent of the nation’s wind power, 90 per cent of its geothermal investment and nearly 30 per cent of its grid-connected domestic solar systems,” Rann said.