Tasmania, an island state of Australia, has met its goal of running entirely on renewable energy two years ahead of schedule. It met its target with the commissioning of the region’s 29th wind turbine at Granville Harbour on the island’s west coast, with two turbines remaining to come online. When all 31 turbines are operational, Tasmania will be able to generate a total of about 10,741 GWh of renewable energy annually, which is beyond its yearly energy demand of 10,500 GWh.
During the year 2018-19, 90 per cent of the island’s power generation came from hydroelectric systems, with much of the rest coming from wind. The region is now set to double its renewable generation to a global-leading target of 200 per cent of current needs by 2040
Tasmania is also in the process of developing a renewable hydrogen industry with the feasibility of key projects being progressed under the government’s $50 million Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program, which forms the backbone of the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan.
Although gas is seen as a key sector to grow in the Australian economy, many states are moving ahead with their own green energy plans. Among these states is New South Wales , which passed a legislation for generation of an extra 12 GW of renewable energy over the next decade. The state of Victoria has also announced an investment of about $1.2 billion in renewable energy hubs across the state, while the Queensland parliament has planned a $372 million investment in renewable energy generation.