The SA Government is seeking proposals to power up to 100 per cent of the State Government’s electricity usage with low-carbon electricity.
SA Premier Jay Weatherill said the State Government was using the power of its energy procurement to drive innovation in low-carbon technologies.
“We are determined to make Adelaide a showcase city for low-carbon and clean technologies, to attract investment, drive innovation and create new jobs,” Mr Weatherill said.
“We have significant runs already on the board. We have created thousands of jobs and already generated $6.6 billion of investment in renewable energy, of which 40 per cent is located in regional South Australia,”
“One of our major commitments is to make the City of Adelaide the world’s first carbon neutral city, and this EOI is a further step towards our ambitious low-carbon goals.
In the past, the State Government has purchased standard grid electricity from a retailer to meet its all of its electricity needs. The current agreements expire in late 2016 for the small Government sites and 2017 for large Government sites. They are now seeking expressions of interest on how to proceed in the future.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said the continued leadership of the South Australian Government over the last decade has shown that renewable energy can deliver major economic benefits as well as a cleaner energy supply.
“South Australian homes and businesses already use the cleanest energy of any mainland state, with 40 per cent of their power provided by renewable energy,” Mr Thornton said.
“It makes sense that the state government’s operations should be powered by clean energy as well.
“More than 70 per cent of Australian coal-fired power plants are at or beyond their expected retirement date. This is a time of change, and while that brings many challenges, we have the opportunity to begin modernising Australia’s electricity system to make it one that will meet our needs for decades to come.
