The Government Is Finally Keen To Build Offshore Wind Farms In Aus To Produce Renewable Energy

The Federal Government has revealed its major plan to get the country running off 84 per cent renewable energy by 2030 — more wind farms. Not just any old wind farms though. They’re talking offshore wind farms. Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen made the announcement on Friday morning. He said the country is “way behind the game” in renewable energy, especially in using winds off the Australian coastline to produce a good energy source.

Yesterday, the Government passed our Climate Bill through the House.

But this isn’t the end of the work.

Today I’ve announced the next steps on our Offshore Wind Plan. Offshore wind will play an important role as we move our electricity system to 82% renewable by 2030 pic.twitter.com/6T1vLOFmEV

— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) August 5, 2022

Star of the South

60-day consultation process

The post The Government Is Finally Keen To Build Offshore Wind Farms In Aus To Produce Renewable Energy appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .

The offshore wind project is called the and it has identified a stretch of ocean off the Gippsland coastline as the ideal spot for the first lot of wind turbines to be built. If approved, it would involve up to 200 turbines being built seven to 25 kilometres off the south coast of Gippsland near Port Albert, McLoughlins Beach and Woodside Beach to catch the strong and steady winds through the Bass Strait. It would then transfer electricity through a network of largely underground cables to an already-established section of the grid in the Latrobe Valley. Minister Bowen has just signed off on a to declare the space just north-east of Wilson’s Promontory National Park to be declared an official offshore wind zone. “Offshore wind is jobs-rich and energy-rich,” he said. “It created a lot of power and a lot of jobs. The Star of the South proposal which would be built in that offshore wind zone off Gippsland would create enough power to 1.2 million households or 20 per cent of Victoria’s energy needs, for example. “Offshore wind is expected to create 3,000 to 8,000 jobs a year when it’s up and running across Australia.” Bowen said there are other areas off the Australian coastlines that are also under consideration for future wind zones. “The next zone that I intend and expect to be consulting on is offshore wind in the Pacific region off the Hunter Valley in New South Wales,” he said. “And then off the Illawarra, the Pacific Ocean region of Portland in Victoria, the Bass Strait region off northern Tasmania and the Indian Ocean region off Perth and Bunbury, of course in Western Australia.” He said the consultation process for all of these offshore wind zones includes working with local communities to hear their “questions, valid concerns and issues”. “This is an important process because I want to bring [people] with us on this important journey,” Bowen said. Bowen expects there will be many things to factor in during the consultation process including responses from recreational and commercial fishers and environmental issues. “[That is] exactly what will be happening over the next 60 days in Gippsland and across these zones over the next 18 months,” he said. If the Gippsland section of the Star of the South project is approved, it will likely take six to 10 years before Australia’s first offshore wind farm is completely up and running.