In March 2022, the Victorian government announced a major new offshore wind plan that will see the state build a massive 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. It's an absolute game changer that will transform the energy system. 

On Thursday 10th March, Friends of the Earth and Victorian Trades Hall Council hosted a special event in conversation with Victoria Climate and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who provided an online briefing about the major announcement.

MEDIA RELEASE - 4 March 2022

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcomes the Victorian government’s announcement of a target to build 9 Gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040.

The announcement is a game changer for state-led efforts to create jobs while tackling climate change.

“The Andrews government’s announcement positions Victoria as a national leader in offshore wind – a critical sector for the state’s energy transition.” said Pat Simons, Friends of the Earth’s renewable energy spokesperson.

This week on the show we hear some of the highlights from a recent webinar held by Friends of the Earth and the Climate Council about the potential for an offshore wind industry in Australia. We hear presentations from Tony Wolfe, a coal fired power plant worker, and Penny Howard, a research officer with the Maritime Union of Australia.

Offshore wind is helping governments deliver deep emissions cuts, create thousands of jobs, and drive the a clean recovery in the United Kingdom and European Union.

But will Australia seize the offshore wind opportunity?... What will it take to establish the job-rich industry here in our country?

Join Friends of the Earth, The Climate Council and special guest speakers on Thursday 23 September for an online event.

The Victorian government has today announced it will power the entire Victorian government with renewable energy, including every public school and hospital and Melbourne’s entire metropolitan train network.

Community-driven environment group Friends of the Earth says the announcement is good news for climate and jobs, and will help firm up the grid by adding new renewable energy supply to the mix.

The announcement comes alongside the release of national emissions data that finds Australia's emissions are dropping, but only as a result of state & territory initiatives and the impact of the pandemic.

The Latrobe Valley’s first wind project, the Delburn wind farm, has taken another step toward reality, with the public submissions period for the project now underway. 

Proposed in pine plantation in the Strzelecki Ranges south of Morwell, the 33 turbine project will overlook the former Hazelwood coal plant, and is expected to power 125,000 Victorian homes with clean renewable energy.

Environment group Friends of the Earth and local advocates welcome the announcement, saying this is a key moment for the community to shape the Latrobe Valley’s renewable energy future. 

“The Delburn Wind farm is another piece of the puzzle in the Latrobe Valley’s energy transition, offering a new source of jobs and a reliable source of energy generation for Victoria as the state acts on climate change” said Wendy Farmer, Yes2Renewables Gippsland Campaigner at Friends of the Earth.

If approved, the Delburn wind farm proposed by local developer OSMI will be the first wind project built in the Latrobe Valley, currently home to Victoria’s ageing coal-fired power stations.  It will create local employment opportunities and economic activity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Friends of the Earth supports the Delburn wind farm for Gippsland, and we see this project as being part of Victoria’s necessary transition away relying on fossil fuels to meet the state’s electricity needs.

The 180-200 megawatt project is expected to generate an approximate 590,000 MWh of electricity annually using 33 turbines. This is enough renewable energy to power up to 125,000 average Victorian homes every year, equating to an annual saving of 590,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

As Victoria transitions away from fossil fuels, it's essential that clean, healthy and sustainable industries are established to provide communities the benefits of good, climate jobs. This is particularly true in the Gippsland region, which is in the midst of a largely unplanned transition away from coal and native forest logging. 

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcomes the Andrews government’s announcement of an Energy Innovation Fund today, and say establishing Victoria as a national leader in offshore wind and renewable hydrogen means it can aim high on climate change. 

“This is an important step towards making Victoria the national leader in offshore wind and getting ready to create a long pipeline of thousands of good climate jobs” said Pat Simons, Friends of the Earth’s Yes 2 Renewables Coordinator.

Friends of the Earth have been calling on the government to establish an offshore wind industry plan to ensure the state maximises the benefits of kickstarting the sector, in the leadup to an imminent decision on Emissions Reduction Targets for the state. 

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcome the Andrews government’s announcement that Victoria will build Australia’s biggest battery, saying it’s a sign the state government can deliver a clean recovery to COVID-19 while acting on the climate crisis.

The 300 megawatt grid-scale battery project to be built near Geelong will create 85 jobs, accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, and help the Victorian government meet legislated commitments to cut emissions.

Critically, the big battery will help shore up Victoria’s electricity grid, which is facing challenges due to intensifying climate impacts such as summer heatwaves as the state’s ageing and polluting coal generators become increasingly unreliable.