Page 4387 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 25 October 2017
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ACT increased by 400 per cent between 2010 and 2015, during which time the number of jobs in the sector declined nationally. That is a fantastic way for the ACT to buck the trend, and it is a real step towards actually diversifying our economy. It shows you what happens when governments get serious and back this policy. That difference between the ACT and the national trend reflects what governments were doing at that time. The ACT government was actually investing in renewables, buying a supply of renewable electricity, while the federal government was dithering and, in fact, actively undermining the sector.
Examples of how the ACT government’s programs are transforming Canberra into a hub for renewable energy innovation, investment and research include international renewable asset management companies such as Windlab, Neoen, CWP and Global Power Generation all basing their Australian operations in the ACT. As a result, around 2,000 megawatts of renewable electricity generation across the world is being managed from the territory. ITP Renewables, in conjunction with the CIT, is running an extensive program to trial lithium-ion batteries in Australian conditions. Reposit Power, which Mr Steel spoke of earlier, a local company providing battery storage management services, has become a leader in renewable energy technology and innovation, ahead of the curve in the kinds of innovation envisaged by Dr Finkel in his review.
Battery storage is integral to a future high-penetration renewables grid. With the future grid in mind, batteries installed under the program must meet a number of “smart” requirements to ensure that they are ready for the future requirements of a “smart” energy grid. This includes being able to respond to changes in electricity prices and tariffs to ensure that customers are able to fully realise the financial benefits of their batteries and that they are capable of providing support to the electricity network. Each battery installed under the program also provides operational data that will be used for research, innovation and business development, with a focus on ACT businesses and institutions.
There is much more to be said about the whole climate debate, but I want to turn to the issue of reliability. Ms Lee has expressed some concerns in this place and it is important to set the record straight on some of these matters, both to assure this place and to assure the ACT community that this matter has been overstated today, and that the ACT government is taking it seriously.
First, let us reflect on the incident of 11 February this year, when there was the threat of the ACT facing a load-shedding moment or a blackout. We will call it what it is. I do not mind, but the industry terminology is load shedding. Canberra households did not lose power that day. That was probably the result of some luck and some good management. The good management was on the part of the ACT government and ActewAGL moving rapidly to partner with a range of major users across the city to reduce demand in that key period between 4 pm and 6 pm, as well as the call that I put out, as the minister, asking ACT households to do what they could. It also was a result of moves in New South Wales.
Let us talk about what actually caused that brownout. It was a period of excessive heat and it was the fact that coal-fired power stations in New South Wales were not able to
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