Wednesday, 3 May 2023

Ministers statements: renewable energy

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:36): I rise to update the house on how Victoria’s renewables revolution is creating thousands of jobs while lowering power bills and of course reducing our emissions. In 2022, 35 per cent of our state’s electricity came from renewables – three times what we inherited in 2014. We have created more than 5500 jobs, building large-scale renewable energy projects in every corner across this great state. In fact just last month we saw more than 700 jobs get a kickstart with the massive Golden Plains wind farm, which I was so delighted to turn the sod on in the member for Eureka’s electorate. It is a fantastic project delivered by people who understand that they have got a government that has got a clear agenda to grow jobs and grow renewable energy in the state, and people are coming and investing and creating those jobs as we speak.

Our Solar Homes program has created 4400 jobs installing 217,000 solar systems, and our Victorian energy upgrades program continues to support a further 2200 jobs and will create 5600 jobs in Australia’s first offshore wind energy industry, because we have got the best offshore wind energy resource in the country.

We are also creating the next generation of energy workers through a $424 million commitment to energy skills and training, including the SEC centre of training excellence and our SEC energy jobs forum, which will bring together the unions, investors and businesses to plan our renewable energy jobs future. Just last week I released the SEC Pioneer Investment Mandate, which will deliver the first project by the end of the year. And of course our jobs bonanza does not happen by accident. It happens because you have got ambition and you have got a plan, and that is why we are bringing back the SEC, creating a further 59,000 jobs, meeting our renewable energy target – (Time expired)