Canberra is set to become the first city in Australia to be run on “effectively” 100 per cent renewable energy, according to the ACT’s Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury.
The ACT will reach the target in October when stage three of South Australia’s Hornsdale wind farm comes online, of which the ACT has purchased the last piece of its renewables puzzle of generation.
According to the ABC, the government promised to reach the milestone by 2020.
“We will be effectively there from October 1,” Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury said.
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Mr Rattenbury chooses the word effectively as the ACT will still be part of the national electricity grid, largely powered by fossil fuels. But, for every watt Canberra uses, it will be replacing with its renewable sources.
In its mix of renewable generation sources are rooftop solar and large-scale wind and solar farms.
Canberra residents pay around an extra $5 per week, a cost Mr Rattenbury said would be much higher if there was no action.
“The feedback we’ve had from the community is that they consider it to be very affordable, and they’re proud of our 100 per cent target,” he told the ABC.
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