A plan for a home-grown green energy industry in WA

On the morning of the first heat wave of another hot Boorloo/Perth summer I stood with a coalition of West Australian unions and environmental organisations to release a joint statement for WA climate action. The statement calls on the West Australian government to commit to a suite of changes to kickstart a home-grown green energy industry.

This is not a set of groups that always sees eye to eye but when it comes to setting up the WA economy with a long term renewable energy future, we all see the need for more investment, clarity and speed.

The statement, Delivering the Next Generation WA Economy authored by the Conservation Council of WA, MUA, AMWU, ETU, UnionsWA and Greenpeace Australia Pacific, highlights priorities the WA government must take to position Western Australia as a global green energy powerhouse.

These asks include:

1. $15 Billion Next Generation Economy Fund — Co-invest with the Federal Government to attract clean industries and support renewable energy transitions across WA.
2. Renewable Energy Target and Infrastructure Planning — Clear and careful planning and oversight to ensure protection of nature, efficient processes, and ongoing timetable of investment starting with an 82% or 20GW Renewable Energy Target by 2030.
3. WA Household Battery Scheme — A government subsidy scheme with a particular focus on low income households would lead to a more equitable and sustainable energy system across WA.

Unfortunately, despite its huge renewable energy potential, WA has been lagging behind in its rollout of large scale renewable energy and its overall emissions have been going up, largely due to the continued expansion of the gas industry. If the resource heavy state is going to be able to transition away from fossil fuels there has to be an alternative energy supply ready to go at the scale required. 

The steps outlined in the joint statement are the pathway to that transition. Not only will these measures get WA’s climate pollution under control but they form the building blocks of a fairer, more sustainable economy. They represent an affordable and proportionate investment for WA to get on the front foot of what we are calling the Next Generation Economy – an economy powered by new renewable technologies that will benefit this generation and those to come.

WA is at a crossroads

Western Australia is at a pivotal moment as the global economy enters its biggest shift since the industrial revolution. It is uniquely positioned to become an important part of global decarbonisation efforts and new green industrial processes but it risks missing out on this opportunity if it remains stuck on gas.

WA has world leading sources of potential renewable energy at a scale sufficient to produce exportable volumes of green products, like green iron and green ammonia. This is a major opportunity for WA to diversify its export industry into clean energy products and to remain competitive in a decarbonised market. 

But WA needs to get serious. With repeated billion dollar surpluses rolling in, it needs to make an investment decision for its future. In fact, for all of our futures. If WA doesn’t get its emissions down, if it doesn’t become a renewable energy powerhouse, it puts our national climate targets at risk and makes the task of meeting the world’s climate goals that much harder to achieve.

For media statements visit here.