The Greens will:

For too long Queensland Labor and the LNP have offered us a false choice: more climate destroying thermal coal, or poverty and unemployment in regional Queensland. But it’s a lie they’re using to protect their fossil fuel donors.  Instead, the Greens will:

• Reach 100% renewable energy by 2030 by building publicly owned renewable energy 
   
• End electricity privatisation in Queensland and establish Energy Queensland as a democratic, public authority responsible for all retail, network and generation in Queensland 
   
• Create an average of 23,000 jobs a year building publicly owned renewable energy: Invest $25 billion through Energy Queensland in building 20,000MW of publicly owned wind, solar, and energy storage, including utility batteries and pumped hydro, over four years
   
• Unlock thousands of jobs in regional Qld: Invest $6.4 billion in new transmission lines, unlocking the enormous renewable energy potential across regional Queensland
   
• Create good, secure jobs: Ban the use of labour hire for renewable energy projects and guarantee leave entitlements and sick pay for every job
   
• Establish a $2 billion fund to help communities establish cooperatively owned renewable energy projects to give communities direct ownership of renewables
   
• Ensure cheap battery storage for every household by establishing a $1 billion household and small business battery storage rebate scheme
   
• Ensure a fair price for solar: Create a fairer feed-in tariff to ensure people get a fair price for their rooftop solar
   

Create 23,000 jobs 

The Greens will create on average 23,000 jobs a year across Queensland building 20,000MW of solar, wind and pumped hydro. The public investment will transform regional Queensland into thriving renewable energy hubs, laying the foundation for energy intensive manufacturing and industry.

How will we pay for it 

We will invest $25 billion over the next 4 years in productive, clean energy generation capacity, using debt-funded infrastructure investment and taking advantage of record low interest rates. A further $6.4 billion will be invested in network upgrades across Queensland, connecting rural and regional Queensland to the grid and unlocking thousands of MW of renewable energy.  These productive, publicly owned assets will produce a modest return that will pay off the investment over time. Energy Queensland will be directed to only charge prices that ensure the initial investment is paid off, rather than making a profit like private corporations. 

The Greens will invest $5.5 billion raised via higher mining royalties and a levy on the big banks to cover the lost dividend and neutrality fee revenue. Queenslanders are doing it tough, so big mining corporations and banks should pay a little bit more to ensure everyone can afford to live a good life.

^{1 Costings based on CSIRO GenCost 2020 ( High VRE scenario) https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/planning_and_forecasting/inputs-assumptions-methodologies/2019/csiro-gencost2019-20_draftforreview.pdf?la=en}