2020-11-05
The Victorian Greens have welcomed news that a 300MW battery will be installed in Victoria over the next year, saying it forms part of the 'Green New Deal' plan the Greens have been campaigning for in the upcoming State Budget.
However, the Greens say that without a plan to transition away from coal as well, the battery will only go so far, as the state continues to use the dirty and polluting fossil fuel coal to power over 50 per cent of Victoria.
Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, said the battery was an important step but that the Andrews Government needed to release a plan to wean Victoria off coal if they were serious about acting on climate change.
The battery will also be privately-owned - a missed opportunity for energy to be in public hands so that we can all benefit from it.
Quotes attributable to Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:
"The Greens have been campaigning for a big battery to help us get off coal, and we're so pleased to see that the Government has heard these calls.
"Unfortunately, the Government still has no plans to wean Victoria off coal, where we still have the dirtiest coal plant in the country, Yallourn.
"This battery is a good step, and we welcome it, and now the Government needs to go one step further and actually admit we need to get off coal in Victoria."