A solar city that would house an array of sun-fuelled technology to power Queensland business and households will be developed by the Bligh Government.
A landmark study into Queensland’s ability to exploit its sun-drenched climate found the state was in a prime position to deploy large-scale solar power plants.
Commissioned by the government in conjunction with former US president Bill Clinton’s climate foundation, the study found large solar projects were both technically and environmentally feasible.
According to the study’s initial findings, Queensland’s solar resources outshone Nevada in the United States and Granada in Spain where commercial solar generation plants were already in development.
Co-locating solar power plants in a precinct to reduce shared infrastructure costs, such as transmission lines, and expedite approval processes was recommended by the report.
Premier Anna Bligh told The Courier-Mail on Tuesday that her government was one of the first in the world to commission such a study and was committed to shifting Queensland to a clean energy future.
Ms Bligh said it was a breakthrough to know Queensland rivalled Nevada and Granada for its solar resources.
“We also better understand what it takes to deploy large-scale solar power stations in Queensland’s solar rich regions, including central and north west Queensland and the Surat Basin,” she said.
“This information will assist industry in determining locations that might best suit their solar solutions and investment aspirations.”
The Government has dabbled in solar energy projects at different locations in regional Queensland for years, including a solar power plant near Cloncurry that was scrapped because its proponents discovered the 8000 mirrors were too glary and a potential hazard for locals.
State Energy Minister Stephen Robertson said the recommendation that solar plants should be co-located would guide the state’s planning for renewable energy.
“It is well known that a major barrier to the deployment of large-scale solar generation in Australia is the cost of connecting to the electricity network,” Mr Robertson said.
“As part of our overall research focus, we continue to examine these complex network issues.”
