Aussie farmers are set to receive more than a billion dollars in landholder payments from hosting renewable energy projects by 2030, as clean energy continues to make farms more productive, according to a new report from Farmers for Climate Action and the Clean Energy Council.
The report, Billions in the bush, found farmers and landholders were likely to receive between $0.9 and $1.1 billion from clean energy projects in the coming five years with a further $213 million contributed to regional and rural communities including through community benefits funds, sharing schemes and local household electricity bill contributions.
The report also found farmers and landholders could expect to receive between $7.7 billion and $9.7 billion in direct payments between 2024 and 2050. Additionally, community contributions in rural and regional areas were likely to be nearly $2 billion by 2050.
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Farmers for Climate Action CEO Natalie Collard said, “Australia’s clean, green farmers have been hosting clean energy since the windmill was invented.
“Hosting modern clean energy helps our farmers continue their traditions. Farmers that choose to host renewables are farming sheep and cattle around wind turbines and under solar panels, creating a double income from the land.
“Farmers are now typically offered more than $40,000 rent per turbine per year and up to $1500 per hectare per year for solar panels and studies confirm sheep which graze under the panels are showing improved wool yields.”
Clean Energy Council CEO Kane Thornton said, “The clean energy transition is not only keeping the lights on as coal plants reach the end of their technical life; they’re creating jobs and alternative income streams right across communities.
“Contributions to regional communities through renewable energy projects of more than $200 million will be realised between now and 2030 including to community benefits funds, neighbourhood benefit sharing schemes and local household electricity bill contributions.”
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Thornton said these payments were part of a broader pattern of regional communities receiving the economic benefits of renewable energy projects.
“Modelling by the Regional Australia Institute shows that large scale wind and solar projects (not including pumped hydro or standalone battery storage) could generate up to $68 billion in economic activity across Australia in the next four years alone.”
More than 40% of Australia’s electricity now comes from renewable sources, including hydro, solar and wind, the majority of which are located in regional and rural areas.
