Great opportunities in Battery of Nation

We are not talking small numbers here. New solar and wind developments of upwards of 12,000 megawatts are hitting the market and critically need balancing to firm the supply.

With our Hydro and high quality wind resources, Tasmania is in a perfect position to capitalise on this transformation, deliver the balance needed and turn those advantages into lower prices, greater energy security, thousands of new jobs, and more revenue for our state.

Tasmania has what the rest of the nation wants – low cost, reliable and clean energy in abundance.

We have a target to be 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewable energy generation by 2022.

That’s why a second Bass Strait interconnector offers opportunity both for Tasmania and the nation.

For us, because it will facilitate billions of dollars in investment in both wind and pumped hydro projects, and the thousands of jobs that will go with it.

That increased on-island generation will mean cheaper energy available for Tasmanians, and more ability to put excess energy into the national grid, without draining our dams, and returning revenue to the state.

Tasmania’s energy solution is cost competitive against all other realistic options for the national market and that’s including the cost of interconnection.

For the nation, getting more clean and reliable energy from Tasmania – the excess we will have once we pass 100 per cent self-sufficiency by 2022 - is a great solution. 

Our plans to become the Battery of the Nation are not only state building – but nation building infrastructure.

The key to solving Australia’s energy dilemma and bringing down prices for everyone is to have low-cost, reliable and clean energy ready and available to be dispatched where it’s needed, when it’s needed.

That’s exactly what Tasmania’s pumped hydro plans can offer, along with existing capacity, upgrades to our hydro infrastructure and additional renewable generation in our state.

That is very well recognised by the federal government.

Following on from the Prime Minister’s visit earlier this year and his description of our Battery of the Nation plans as “a cracker of a project”, this week the federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor visited Tasmania to tour our hydro assets and hear firsthand what Tasmania has to offer to the National Energy Market.

Minister Taylor chose the Poatina Power Station to announce an Australian Government’s new Underwriting New Generation Investment Program. 

Poatina is just one of Tasmania’s 14 potential pumped hydro energy storage sites and analysis by Hydro Tasmania shows that developing a number of these pumped hydro sites could double Tasmania’s hydro capacity with an additional 2500MW.

Increased interconnection across the Bass Strait would also unlock dormant hydro capacity of 400MW and see Tasmania immediately reap the benefits.

We were officially net-exporting from Tasmania last year, this trend will continue to grow as we increase interconnection.

If we grasp opportunities like this, it’s a win-win situation for Tasmania.

That’s why the Hodgman Liberal Government has invested, in partnership with the federal coalition government, in the feasibility studies on a second interconnector and the Battery of the Nation plans.

Tasmania is growing from strength to strength, and we have a bright future ahead of us.

The state already has the lowest regulated electricity prices in the nation, private developers forging ahead with the Cattle Hill and Granville Harbour wind farms, and our energy security position is strong as we head towards our goal of becoming 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewables by 2022.

The Hodgman Liberal Government will continue to deliver on our Tasmania-First Energy Policy and work with the federal government to create billions in investment and thousands of new renewable energy jobs here in Tasmania.