Community members to highlight Tasmania’s reliance on coal-fired power and call for a shift to

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16th July 2010
Community members to highlight Tasmania’s reliance on coal-fired power and call for a shift to 100% renewables.

Tasmanian community members concerned about the state’s reliance on imported dirty brown coal will attend the offices of Hydro Tasmania in Hobart at 12:30pm today to express their concern over the use of fossil fuels and to call for a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy.

Protesters will point towards the large screen in the foyer of Hydro Tasmania’s head office that displays the amount of electricity currently entering the state through Basslink.

“Despite the widely held belief that Tasmania’s energy already comes from renewables, the state actually imports vast amounts of dirty brown coal power each year. We urge people to come down and see for themselves just how much we rely on coal power,” said Susan Austin from Climate Action Hobart.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Tasmania has a unique opportunity to lead the way in Australia and consistently export clean green energy north to Victoria across Basslink, instead of the current situation of importing much of our power from dirty brown coal each year,” Ms Austin said.

The science has already made it clear that we need to move away from carbon intensive power generation. A report issued this week by Beyond Zero Emissions the ‘Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan’ shows that it is achievable and affordable for Australia to reach 100% renewable energy in ten years.

“We are very excited about the opportunities outlined in this detailed blueprint, and we call on the state government to give the plan its full support,” Ms Austin said.

Around the country on July 17, Climate Action groups will be holding co-ordinated community events calling on governments to ban the establishment of new coal power plants, shut down Hazelwood power station in Victoria – the dirtiest in the country, and begin a push towards a 100% renewable-energy society.

Climate Action Hobart is calling on the Tasmanian government and Hydro Tasmania to stop importing power from the dirtiest coal power plants in the country, to increase the renewable energy generating capacity of our state and to move rapidly towards a Zero Carbon power supply.

In addition the Government needs to act to reduce our energy use, increase efficiency and end the subsidies to the heaviest energy users.

“For a safe future, we need strong action on Climate Change, and we need it now,” concluded Ms Austin.
Susant Atkins