In a recent media release Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development for the ACT, Simon Corbell, released the "ACT Climate Change Strategy: AP2" which maps out the pathway to the ACT achieving a renewable energy target of 90% as part of the new climate change action plan.
The Climate Change Action Plan aims to deliver carbon emission reductions of 40% on 1990 levels by 2020 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
Approximately 1,471,000 tonnes of this reduction will be through the deployment of new large-scale renewable energy generation capacity, including solar and wind power, that will probably result in the voluntary surrender of the Large Generation Certificates from its generation and therefore qualify as GreenPower.
Other key areas of reduction in carbon emissions contained in the climate change strategy include:
- 218,000 tonnes of carbon emissions reduced from the residential sector through increased energy efficiency; restrictions on installations of high emission hot water heaters, continuation of the ACTSmart programs and collaboration with local tertiary education institutions to trial new technologies to produce and store energy;
- 181,000 tonnes reduction in the commercial sector through the possible expansion of the energy efficiency scheme to large businesses and buildings as well as a heating and cooling load map to encourage private investment in low-carbon energy networks; and
- 138,000 tonnes reductions through the implementation of the transport for Canberra strategy which will increase public transport frequency to encourage people out of their private vehicles
For more information on AP2, visit
http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/corbell/2012/renewable_energy_for_canberra3 or http://www.environment.act.gov.au/climate_change/ap2