THE Palaszczuk Government has announced funding applications for Queenslanders living in First Nations and storm prone regional communities to improve energy resilience through microgrids.
This move falls under the Energy and Jobs plan, which Energy and Renewables Minister Mick de Brenni said will be a $10 million Microgrid Pilot Fund and will enhance power supply in Queensland.
“The two-year program offers grants for communities on the edge of the electricity grid to deliver shovel-ready microgrid projects or provide support to develop future projects through feasibility studies,” he said.
“Our plan is to help people to take advantage of Queensland’s clean energy revolution, by installing new renewable generation and storage, as well as contributing to the decarbonisation of regional Queensland.”
Minister De Brenni continued saying the microgrids will be a way to provide cheaper energy to the citizens of Queensland, while remaining sustainable for the environment.
“No one wants to be sitting back in years to come thinking we could have done more – the time for action is now,” he said.
“Queenslanders care about the climate, they care about cost of living, and they care about protecting each other – our plan takes real action on all three.”
Assistant Minister for the 50% Renewable Energy Target by 2030 Lance McCallum said as a First Nations man himself, this program is a great opportunity for First Nations people to take control of their energy through microgrids.
“Microgrids will provide the ability to recover quickly or maintain energy supply during network outages caused by extreme weather events,” Minister McCallum said.
