Hydro Tasmania to go fully green by 2012

Burnie Advocate
Friday 2/5/2008 Page: 10

Hydro Tasmania was aiming to become Australia's first carbon neutral electricity generator by 2012, Premier Paul Lennon announced yesterday. "Once again, Tasmania is looking to lead the nation in responding to climate change," he said. "Hydro Tasmania's goal to become the nation's first carbon neutral electricity generator is part of the Government's commitment to meeting a 60 per cent reduction in Tasmania's greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050.

"The decommissioning of the Bell Bay Power Station in the next few years, mixed with energy efficiencies, will help achieve this target," Mr Lennon said. He also announced Hydro Tasmania planned to investigate the development of an extra 1000 gigawatt hours of output.

"This represents an increase in energy generation of about 10 per cent and is equivalent to the amount of energy it would take to power an additional 100,000 Tasmanian households per annum," Mr Lennon said. "The 1000 gigawatt project will look at how to maximise output from storages and catchments and examine options such as mini hydro schemes, the development of new power stations and the redevelopment of existing ones."