Queensland budget puts money towards solar for renters, Copperstring and coal

The Queensland government is putting $26 million into its election promise to fund solar for renters, and almost $3 billion into moving the state’s energy transition forward. 

The ‘supercharged solar for renters’ program will pay 6,500 landlords rebates of up to $3,500 to put solar panels on their rental properties over the next three years. 

But the full details of this policy are still to be revealed.

With governments elsewhere in Australia yet to convince landlords to upgrade their properties without an associated stick, onlookers are still waiting to see if the Queensland government has found the key to this problem.

“We look forward to seeing details of the policy to ensure there are safeguards to ensure the benefits of the Supercharged Solar for Renters program works in favour of rental tenants,” Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Lee Douglas said in a statement. 

Douglas was disappointed the new Liberal government hadn’t used its first budget to put in place a consumer energy resources strategy – especially given Queenslanders’ love of rooftop solar. 

And despite a massive $5.6 billion being put into 53,500 new social and community homes, Douglas says it’s also not clear that these will be the kinds of homes needed for a hotter future. 

“More details are needed on whether these will be built to be energy efficient with access to solar power and battery storage,” she said. 

Most of clean energy spend is Copperstring

The state is spending $2.9 billion on infrastructure and investments that support clean energy and a transition away from coal. 

A whopping $2.4 billion of this is going towards getting the Copperstring transmission line moving.

That funding is spread over the next four years, and comes with the appointment of Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) to lead the project – although Powerlink is still handling delivery. 

The $5 billion CopperString project will connect Queensland’s northwest to the grid through an 840km power line running from south of Townsville to Mount Isa. Set to be finished by 2029, CopperString is supposed to open grid capacity for renewable energy projects in the north and provide more affordable power to miners in the North West Minerals Province.

This year should see the start of works at the Hughenden Hub which in the future will connect renewable energy at Flinders to the National Electricity Market. Powerlink will also start preparing sites for the Eastern Link and procurement of transformers, lines and tower steel needed for CopperString.

“The focus on key transmission links like CopperString is an important sign that the state is serious about unlocking new clean energy,” said Clean Energy Council Queensland director Tracey Stinson in a statement.

“CopperString will help connect North Queensland’s abundant wind and solar resources to the grid.

“By making sure the grid is modern and robust enough to support more wind, solar and batteries, these upgrades will help ensure clean power can flow efficiently and reliably to homes, businesses and industries.”

Stinson says that network investments will also help, as will funding for state-owned Stanwell Corp which will see more batteries and wind power brought into the NEM.

But the budget has stripped back support for clean energy projects to four pumped hydro projects – CleanCo’s Mt Rawdon and Stanwell’s Big T, CS Energy’s Capricornia, and early works on the Borumba project – and a promise to continue working with Quinbrook on its proposed 114-megawatt Lockyer energy project near Gatton.

It is also putting $378.9 million aside to pay for utility-scale batteries at the Stanwell, Tarong and Swanbank Power Station sites.

Matched funding for fossil fuels

But the headline $2.9 billion clean energy budget line comes with some provisos. 

The state is also guaranteeing a $1.6 billion, five year investment in overhauling the coal power stations Callide C, Tarong and Wivenhoe, and spending $479.2 million on a new gas peaking plant for CS Energy at Brigalow.

It’s also about 30 per cent less capital investment in renewable energy, storage and transmission infrastructure compared to last year, says the Queensland Conservation Council.

While the investment in battery storage and network upgrades is “welcome”, the continued support for fossil fuels is undoing that good work, says council director Dave Copeman.

“Unfortunately, the Government wants to have their cake and eat it too. While they’re funding new renewable energy and storage projects, they’re also funnelling hundreds of millions into polluting fossil fuels,” he said in a statement. 

“Maintaining Queensland’s coal royalties is a welcome step, but it’s unclear from this budget if they are being spent wisely.”

Copeman would like to see those royalties put to work in new energy technologies that provide jobs outside coal and gas – and go towards better protecting the state’s vulnerable species. 

“If done right, coal royalties would ensure Queensland isn’t just ready for the energy transition, but that we are set to lead it,” he said. 

“There is nothing in the budget to save our precious koalas, nothing for the vital bioregional planning to protect our most vulnerable species, and nothing for enforcement of our vegetation management laws.”

“The $39.6 million in this budget for protected areas is a re-announcement of the remainder of the $262.5 million committed in the 2022 budget, earmarked for already targeted acquisitions.