Rees plans green power revolution October 19, 2009
NATHAN REES says he wants to push the expansion of clean energy in NSW in a bid to end the state's reliance on the coal industry.
The Premier has written to the Energy and Environment Minister, John Robertson, asking him to ''develop a comprehensive energy policy, with a strong emphasis on clean energy including wind, solar, gas and cleaner coal technology''.
He has also signalled that a new baseload power station in NSW will now be gas, not coal.
Mr Rees's going public with his drive for greener energy is part of his wish to take up the environmental theme championed by the former premier Bob Carr, but left dormant under the more ''brown'' administration of Morris Iemma.
But it is also about targeting Greens preferences at the 2011 election and giving a theme to the Rees premiership.
Mr Rees said he wanted Mr Robertson to work on a strategy to enable NSW to meet the Federal Government's 20 per cent renewable energy target.
''Your appointment to both portfolios - the first for an Australian state - is a deliberate decision by me, to give a stronger emphasis to clean energy policy, and to ensure consistency and clarity between our environmental and energy objectives,'' he said.
Mr Rees said he would ask Mr Robertson to prepare a cabinet minute to that effect. It would also look at an assessment of other clean-energy measures, including scope for further public and private sector investment in gas-fired electricity generation (as opposed to coal) and strategies to meet the 20 per cent renewable energy target.
The executive director of the Nature Conservation Council, Cate Faehrmann, said that if Mr Rees was serious he would have looked to top the Federal Government's 20 per cent target.
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