- Published:
- Tuesday 27 June 2017
Ararat’s new wind farm – the third largest in Australia – was officially opened today.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio visited the 240MW wind farm, which is generating enough electricity to power over 120,000 Victorian homes.
Unlike the former Liberal Government who tried to close down Victoria’s wind farm industry, the Andrews Labor Government is supporting our renewables sector to create jobs of the future and deliver clean, green energy.
The Labor Government has wound back the former Liberal Government’s anti-wind farm planning rules and are embracing renewable energy projects like the Ararat Wind Farm and all the jobs they bring.
The Government has also set Victoria’s own Renewable Energy Target of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025, which it announced at last year’s event to mark the arrival of the Ararat Wind Farm’s turbine blades.
These targets have given the renewable energy industry the confidence it needs to invest in renewable energy projects and deliver the jobs that are crucial to Victoria's future prosperity.
Across Western Victoria this has seen the wind farm industry powering ahead with projects underway or proposed at Stockyard Hill, Lal Lal, Moorabool, Dundonnell, Murra Warra and at Stawell’s Nectar Farms.
The Labor Government also delivered the Renewable Certificate Purchasing Initiative, which is bringing forward $220 million of investment in Victorian renewable energy projects.
Through this initiative the Labor Government is using its purchasing power as a large electricity consumer to boost investment in renewables and create new jobs for Victorians.
The Labor Government is separately supporting two new wind farms – Mt Gellibrand and Kiata – and linking new large-scale solar projects to match the electricity usage of Melbourne's fleet of 410 trams.
$25 million is also being invested to deploy up to two projects of 20 megawatts minimum capacity each of commercially ready energy storage.
Together these projects will provide at least a total of 100 megawatt hours by January 2018.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“We’ve been proud to back the Ararat Wind Farm every step of the way. This project is not only delivering the clean energy we need but helping to power new jobs in Western Victoria.”
“We want Victoria to be at the forefront of renewable energy and the many jobs it will create.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“We are making Victoria the national leader in renewable energy because we want to drive down energy prices, create jobs, and reduce emissions.”