Queensland’s booming renewable energy jobs growth will plummet in less than a year under the targets set by Malcolm Turnbull’s National Energy Guarantee, new projections from Green Energy Markets reveal.
Data compiled by GEM shows large-scale solar projects under construction in Queensland in June 2018 will create about 3,494 jobs, however as the NEG’s weak emissions targets discourage further investment in renewable energy, projections for June 2019 show solar construction will crash to a level representing just 309 jobs.
By December 2019 all large scale solar construction jobs will have disappeared under the NEG, leaving the Queensland state government’s renewable auctions as the only remaining policy supporting renewable jobs growth in the state.
The projected employment crash for Queensland follows the expected demise of large-scale wind and solar projects under the NEG, with the policy’s heavy reliance on coal, and emissions reduction targets so low they will be met by projects already in the pipeline leaving no incentive for ongoing renewable construction.
The 1455.85 megawatts of large-scale solar construction and investment of June 2018 is set to collapse to just 129 megawatts by June 2019 under the NEG’s current targets.
Wind energy construction tells a similar story with 677 megawatts currently in construction in June 2018, set to plummet to zero by June 2019 with the NEG as it stands.
GetUp Campaigns Director Miriam Lyons said Queensland should stand up to Turnbull’s anti-renewable policy at the next COAG meeting and demand better.
“The only thing Malcolm Turnbull’s NEG will guarantee is more coal pollution and less renewables.
“Every day more evidence comes out to show Queensland would be worse off under the under the NEG’s weak targets.
“Thousands of people could go from working on solar construction sites to filling out forms at Centrelink under Turnbull's anti-renewable NEG.
"Queensland Energy Minister Anthony Lynham has the power to stop this fiasco. He needs to do the right thing by his state, and tell Turnbull to come back with a real plan to cut climate pollution, save jobs, bring electricity prices down and keep the renewables boom going."