Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has unveiled a series of offshore wind targets, declaring states and territories must lead Australia's renewable energy transition in light of "second rate" national ambitions.
Giving his first annual State of the State address in two years on Friday, Mr Andrews outlined a vision for future offshore wind production in Victoria.
Under the targets, the first announced by any state or territory in Australia, two gigawatts (GW) of power would be generated by Victorian offshore wind by 2032.
Mr Andrews said it would meet 20 per cent of Victoria's energy needs and be enough to power 1.5 million homes.
That figure would later rise to 4GW by 2035 and 9GW by 2040.
"Targets ... we will meet and that we will exceed," Mr Andrews said at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia event.
"It is the clearest and best signal we can send to investors, to those who will build and operate.
"It's a message from a government with a proven track record of getting things done, and a government not simply prepared to say 'well, that's a matter for the feds' when we know they'll do precious little about it."
Victoria has already vowed to cut its carbon emissions by 50 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030, almost double the Commonwealth's commitment of 26 to 28 per cent.
Mr Andrews said about 60 per cent of Australia's national energy mix is currently made up of fossil fuels, and the nation "lags" the rest of the world in renewables generation.
"We are a first world country with second rate renewable energy ambitions," he said.
"National emissions targets are eclipsed, they are embarrassingly eclipsed, by those set by states and territories, and what's clear is that the transition to cheap renewable energy will only get done if it's led by states and territories."
The Victorian government last year pledged $40 million to fund scoping studies and pre-construction development for three proposed wind farms off the state's coast.
Power from the wind farm projects in Gippsland and Bass Coast is not expected to hit Victorian homes and businesses until at least 2028.
By 2050, it is estimated Victoria's offshore wind projects could add 13GW to the state's energy grid, five times its current renewable energy generation.
Beyond Zero Emissions hailed the "ambitious" targets as a "boon for industry and jobs", while leading offshore wind project developer Flotation Energy said it would unlock "significant opportunities for the local supply chain".
Environment Victoria described offshore wind as "the missing piece of Australia's energy puzzle", and the Electrical Trades Union and Maritime Union of Australia seized on the targets to call for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to outline a renewable energy plan.
"Coal fired power plants are closing and Mr Morrison is simply missing in action," ETU acting national secretary Michael Wright said.
Victorian Liberal MP and state opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier criticised the premier for "talking about wind power targets instead of talking about fixing the health crisis".
