I am all for self-sufficiency and being kind to the planet. If the proposed solar park really does take 300 people off the grid then it is a good thing.
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If, however, the houses remain on the grid and demand electricity when the sun doesn't shine at its maximum for more than one day then it is pulling the wool over people's eyes.
I suspect the claims are similar to other green power sources, other than hydro, which require coal power stations to keep going just in case, or gas or diesel generators on stand-by, complete with their operators.
More would be achieved, both visually and for the health of the planet, if 15 hectares of trees were planted.
- Peter Toedter
Because of the subsidies that are paid by the government, our power bills go up.
The solar park is not a park - it is an industrial installation imposed on a rural setting that will sterilise 15 hectares of land. More would be achieved, both visually and for the health of the planet, if 15 hectares of trees were planted.
A solar project does nothing to create jobs once the installation has been completed. Not only that, it is built with predominantly overseas-made and transported components.
Peter Toedter
WE'VE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: A MAYOR'S VIEW
A CHANGE is coming. In fact, it's already happening. Across the country, we're seeing the birth of a new regional industry - renewable energy.
Australia is one of the sunniest, windiest places on earth, so it's no surprise that we're in the middle of a renewables boom. The transition is bringing with it billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of jobs, often to long-neglected regional areas that were previously reliant on fossil fuel industries.
My town, Port Augusta in South Australia's Upper Spencer Gulf, is proof that there is life beyond coal. The last of our brown coal plants closed in 2016 after the operator decided it was no longer economically viable.
As the former mayor of Port Augusta, my advice to leaders of coal- and gas-reliant areas is this - start planning that transition now. By looking ahead and embracing the new employment and investment opportunities of solar and wind energy, this slump can be avoided.
At the same time, the nearby Whyalla steelworks went into voluntary administration. Hundreds of jobs were lost, and it seemed the lifeblood of the region was trickling away.
Today it's a different story. Across the region, large-scale renewable energy projects are springing up, from Australia's largest solar farm, which switched on late last year, through to a 212MW wind farm at Port Lincoln, which is due to go operational this July.
But while we're seeing a rebirth of industry in our corner of the country, the transition has not been without its challenges. Port Augusta's reliance on coal, even as its economic viability dwindled, meant that many were left unprepared for the local collapse of the industry. People here did it tough. Some are still doing it tough.
Regional areas that depend on fossil fuel industries need to square up to the new reality and plan for a clean energy transition - something that our Federal Government seems to be blind to.
As the former mayor of Port Augusta, my advice to leaders of coal- and gas-reliant areas is this - start planning that transition now. By looking ahead and embracing the new employment and investment opportunities of solar and wind energy, this slump can be avoided.
The writing is on the wall for Australia's coal industry, but we can move towards a prosperous, healthy clean energy future. Be brave. The future of your community depends on it.
Sam Johnson, former Mayor of Port Augusta
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