A new brown-coal power station will entrench Victoria into a high carbon future.
July 10, 2008
Read the Moreland Energy Foundation's response.
"The Victorian Government's announcement of a new brown-coal power station will entrench Victoria into a high carbon future and should not be accepted by the Victorian community," says Moreland Energy Foundation CEO, Paul Murfitt.
Here at the Moreland Energy Foundation we work with an ever growing number of households and businesses who are investing their own money and time to reduce their greenhouse impact. Schools and community organisations are fundraising to make their operations more sustainable. Local governments are working towards "carbon neutral" status.
We are expecting the State Government to lead and support this drive to tackle the impending climate disaster, not undermine our efforts by further subsidising the most greenhouse intensive fuel source there is!
Even with the new technology proclaimed by Minister Bachelor, brown coal is still unacceptable as a fuel source for the future. Garnaut's report has confirmed this.
The State Government's own research ahead of the Climate Summit earlier this year demonstrated that investment in low carbon energy generation (such as cogeneration and small scale renewable energy) can provide a low greenhouse energy supply far greater in capacity to the new facility proposed for the LaTrobe Valley.
The recent feed in tariff decision revealed that the State Government seemed more interested in spin than substance when it comes to supporting small-scale renewable energy. This latest announcement confirms it and calls into question the Government's commitment to proven sustainable energy technologies and sustainable energy solutions.
At a time when coastal areas in Victoria are facing questions about future viability the community is looking for strong action on climate change. Smart decisions and investment now will save the need for much more painful investment in a damaged future.
A new coal fired power station in the Latrobe valley is politically, technologically, financially and socially untenable and the community won't accept it.
