Dr WOODRUFF – I think Ms Finlay’s got a really important point. We’ve just seen the extreme events and with people being out of power for weeks at a time, it’s incredibly concerning. Whilst we all think it’s fantastic to have the large battery that Hydro represents, the reality is that when poles and wires go down we need to move as much as possible into a diversified energy generation system. Will you be developing targets under the next climate action plan around the rooftop solar and community battery systems installation in Tasmania?
Mr DUIGAN – What I would point to is, again, the Energy Saver Loan Scheme which supports the installations of batteries –
Dr WOODRUFF – We’ve heard that.
Mr DUIGAN – Yeah, I know, but it is important and it is an absolute action of government that is seeing many more batteries installed than would otherwise be the case. I think that is important.
The notion of consumer energy resources is an important and emerging issue, or rather an opportunity for jurisdictions around the country, around the rest of the world, and here in Tasmania as well. Obviously, electric cars provide fantastic energy storage opportunities and getting those plugged into the grid and charging those from solar is a great opportunity.
There is a great deal of work happening at the national level through ECMC and progressing those conversations, noting that there are potentially rule changes and things of that nature that need to occur to enable those things to happen and for network operators to tap into existing community energy resources.
We have a scheme in place that has been very successful in getting more rooftop PV, more batteries installed in Tasmania. As I mentioned in answer to my last question, TasNetworks is currently engaged in the community battery space. There are a number of grid‑scale battery proponents looking to set up in Tasmania. A very active space is how I would describe it. As a government, we need to be understanding and participating, where possible, in those developments.
Dr WOODRUFF – What I’m hearing from you is a really kind of hands‑off, laissez-faire market – a kind of ‘do its own thing’ approach and individualised solutions. What we need in a climate‑change, increasingly volatile environment is governments that will be directive and solve some of the tensions.
One of the tensions that’s been sitting there for over a decade is between TasNetworks and solar users. What we have are missed opportunities. Obviously, we need to find a way of ensuring that TasNetworks is funded for the poles and wires part of the distribution. That is a public good and everyone should be paying towards that. However, that is stopping targets, like a real focus from government on community‑level electricity generation.
When poles and wires go down from far away, communities are cut off. This will happen again and again, more and more frequently. Will you investigate this, as the minister, to look at creating some targets so it’s not just left to businesses and community to kind of come along, but actually direct what’s going on in Tasmania? When you have islands and far‑flung communities cut off for weeks at an end, will you work towards a solution so that doesn’t happen next time?
Mr DUIGAN – Thank you, appreciate that. I would point to substantial work that is happening at the national level, and Tasmania is a party to that work that is going on around these sorts of conversations. In terms of targets and so on, Mark, is there anything you would like to add in terms of what ReCFIT is saying/doing in this space?
Mr BOWLES – In addition to what the minister’s already spoken about, the primary target that we’re working towards is the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target (TRET). We are very conscious, in terms of the activity we do, not duplicating what federal agencies are doing. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is a source of funds for community batteries, and we’re aware that there are six proposed community batteries seeking ARENA funding. That is something that we will certainly be monitoring, and continue to look at how that rolls out. They’re in addition to the batteries, the grid community batteries that TasNetworks are trialling as well.
Dr WOODRUFF – Minister, Parents for Climate, from the north west, have a question for you. It’s about the solar panel rollout and whether the government would extend that to childcare centres, with the costs of savings being invested to Tasmanian public schools and childcare centres. Will you extend that rollout?
Mr DUIGAN – I will have to take some advice on this, around the rollout.
Yes, that is a project, I’m advised, that is been handled by the department of Education. It is not something that I have any detail or real visibility on, but yes, it sounds like a good program.
Dr WOODRUFF – They’ve also asked a question relating to climate change emissions reduction. Will you commit to ending all household gas connections and directly investing in home energy upgrades for low‑income houses, to help them pay bills, help with cost‑of‑living pressures, and reduce emissions that are going to the climate as well? Do you have a plan to do that?
Mr DUIGAN – Certainly, we have a gas strategy, which was released in the early part of this year, which looks at Tasmania’s gas use and the opportunities that exist there. One of the things I would point to is our existing gas network, which is relatively young in age and does lend itself very nicely to blending with green gases, particularly green hydrogen. There’s some work happening there; we could – potentially out of Bell Bay, where gas comes ashore in Tasmania ‑ see green hydrogen being blended into our LNG and gas supply through the state and that is an opportunity that exists.
Dr WOODRUFF – Isn’t the opportunity to stop using gas for Tasmania? I mean, we are the state that’s lauded as – we don’t need to use gas in Tasmania. We’ve got electrons produced by hydro, we can we can convert. We don’t need to cook on gas, we can cook on electricity that’s produced from renewable sources. Isn’t that the opportunity for Tasmania in a climate emergency?
Mr DUIGAN – Yes, look, I think we need to be a little bit pragmatic. I’m not sure that too many people are going to be thanking me for coming in and chopping off their gas connection to their homes.
Dr WOODRUFF – The people who had their houses underwater with the floods last week might be really happy that you’re taking it seriously.
Mr DUIGAN – Yes, and we are, we’re looking at positioning Tasmania as a very significant producer of green hydrogen, which will be the next gas that we are using at scale. We are taking it seriously. Banning new gas connections is not part of the strategy. The strategy recognises the importance of gaseous fuels, which we need to recognise in Tasmania’s energy mix –
Dr WOODRUFF – No-one needs to do that in Tasmania 2025. You don’t need gas to cook your food.
Mr DUIGAN – and incorporate gas into decarbonisation pathways, including options for locally produced hydrogen, renewable methane or biogas. One of the key considerations of transition is the notion of fair and just, and we need to be very careful that we don’t do things that necessarily disadvantage one cohort of the community.
Dr WOODRUFF – An implausible scenario in this situation. That is just ludicrous.
