Sunshine state waits to see which way the wind blows on energy
Queensland’s new LNP government is preparing to unveil its energy strategy, having promised to scrap the state’s renewable energy targets.
Just a year ago, the mood was very different - Queensland was the renewables success story, attracting industry confidence and investment.
Under Labor, the state had bold targets to transform its coal-heavy grid, backed by tens of gigawatts of proposed wind, solar, and storage projects.
Since the LNP’s election, relations with the clean energy sector have soured, with ministers skipping major industry events and reversing project approvals.
Planning minister Jarrod Bleijie has rescinded permits for major wind farms and called in others, signalling a sharp policy shift away from renewables.
The LNP has vowed to tear up Labor’s 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2035 renewable goals and pledged $1.5 billion to keep coal plants running “for decades.”
The state’s biggest energy user, Rio Tinto, responded by advancing the closure of the 1.68 GW Gladstone coal generator to 2029, reaffirming its shift to renewables.
Meanwhile, the government faces mounting challenges - ageing coal plants, high power prices, stalled innovation, and a growing renewable “brain drain.”
Industry leaders say public trust has frayed after poor planning and consultation on some wind projects, but still see major opportunities through projects like CopperString 2.0.
As the LNP prepares to release its plan, the key question remains: will it back the renewables its industries and households want - or keep betting on coal and gas?