Green energy map is `a cracker'

Sunday Canberra Times
Sunday 19/10/2008 Page: 19

AUSTRALIA'S fight against climate change now has directions to the battlefield, thanks to a green energy treasure map. The new online Renewable Energy Atlas identifies the nation's green power goldmines - and the results seem promising. geothermal, wind, solar, wave and tidal power hotspots abound, mapped out in vivid colours on the federal Environment Department's website.

At the launch on Friday, Environment Minister Peter Garrett described the atlas as an "absolute cracker". "The fact is that renewable energy resources have hugely untapped potential for Australia, Mr Garrett said. Emissions-conscious Australians can use the program to figure out if a solar panel or wind turbine would be an eco-friendly investment. For governments and developers, it's a map to the most viable green energy sources. The atlas is the brainchild of scientists from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology and received funding of $770,000 from the Environment Department.

Mr Garrett said it would benefit governments, businesses and the public, thanks to a user-friendly design. "[The atlas is] a great example of how Australian innovation is providing renewable solutions for the future." Strictly speaking, the atlas isn't an Australian innovation: areas of Britain and the United States have experimented with similar systems. Nevertheless, Mr Garrett was confident the atlas would become "one of the most powerful and important tools for liberating the Australian economy" from carbon-emitting energy.

The minister said the atlas would be vital in helping meet the Government's "crystal-clear" commitment to renewable energy. The Rudd Government has pledged that green power will provide 20 per cent of electricity needs by 2020. That would be met despite the current financial turmoil, Mr Garrett said, reiterating Thursday's pledges from Climate Change Minister Penny Wong.

The Government has vet to set the 20 per cent target into legislation, but the minister was adamant it would be met. 'We'll have more to say about that further down the track but the Government is profoundly committed to ensuring that we (10 have a 20 per cent renewable energy target, and that will be delivered." he said.