Jobs and investment will be the focus of the first Powering North Queensland Summit, to be held in Townsville on 31 August 2017.
John Grimes, Australian Solar Council and Energy Storage Council CEO, said a renewable energy boom is underway in North Queensland and locals should attend the Summit to find out how they can be a part of it.
“North Queensland’s renewables industry is thriving,” says Grimes. “There has been an unprecedented level of investment in renewable energy in North Queensland in the last two years. Queensland has 17 large-scale projects underway that have created 2200 new jobs in regional centres.”
“Queensland Treasurer and acting Energy Minister Curtis Pitt will be a headline speaker at the Summit, speaking about the State Government’s existing and planned investment in North Queensland.
“This Summit brings together all the key players in North Queensland’s renewables boom. Opportunities in this sector are boundless. Queensland is set to see 6400 – 6700 new jobs in renewables every year and $6.7 billion investment to 2030.
“Household power prices have doubled in the last five years because our energy infrastructure is ageing and inefficient, and fossil fuel prices are linked to international markets. The solution is locally generated renewable power,” says Grimes. “Renewables are the cheapest energy source. We have the technology, the natural assets and the local skills to build new renewable energy grids for Queenslanders. Not only will North Queensland secure its own energy future, it will lead the charge nationally. We already have the greatest number of roof-top solar installations of any state or territory, now it’s time to activate our large-scale renewables potential.
“We must think big, and strengthen North Queensland’s capacity to secure long-term, steady jobs for our region,”
The Powering North Queensland Summit will be opened by the Mayor of Townsville and closed by Federal Member for Herbert Cathy O’Toole and Minister Assisting the Premier for North Queensland, Coralee O’Rourke