Victoria is Greening

Disturbed by the ferocity of early bush fires, Australians are flocking to support sustainable energy despite their conservative governments continued backing of fossil fuel.  The latest poll indicates that at least two-thirds of Australians support alternative energy development.  These supporters recently got some good news: testing begins on the country's first offshore wind development, Star of the South.  The offshore wind farm is expected to produce 2000 megawatts of power or about 18% of Victoria's power demand when it reaches full production by 2027.  The development is expected to cost between $8 and $10 billion. Scientific studies will monitor wave and wave characteristics as well as evaluate the projects overall environmental impact on marine and bird life.  Its proposed site is between 10 kilometers and 25 kilometers from Port Albert on Victoria’s southern coast. [chart]

The project has the backing of Australian unions, still a major force in Australian politics. Unions have launched a lobbying campaign of state and federal governments to smooth the way for the project's success. They hope the project will provide secure jobs for electrical workers in the Latrobe Valley which has historically relied on coal-fired power generation.  The regional economy was hit when the coal fired Hazelwood plant was closed in 2017.  More coal plants are scheduled to close in coming decades.  The unions want the conservative government to establish an energy transition authority that considers the needs of workers displaced by the clean technology.  One of the features of offshore wind power is the availability of prevailing winds, which produce an element of power stability at peak grid loads.  With improved battery performance and capacity, offshore wind could be considered for base load power.  Existing infrastructure will be used to distribute offshore power through the Latrobe Valley.  The Victoria state government has set a 50% renewable energy target by 2030