Energy efficiency in schools a smart move for Palaszczuk’s power plan 15 November 2017
Wednesday 15 November
Energy experts have welcomed the ALP’s commitment of $57 million to improve the energy efficiency of schools in their “Powering Queensland’s Future Plan”.
“Investing $57 million to make schools cooler and more energy efficient is a smart move. This will make school buildings more comfortable for students, improve learning outcomes and save $10 million a year in energy costs,” said Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council.
The independent Queensland Energy Security Taskforce is currently developing a comprehensive plan to help Queenslanders cut their energy bills through energy efficiency. The Taskforce will present the plan next year to whoever wins the State election. However, the ALP’s proposal to upgrade the efficiency of schools is a smart first step to a comprehensive plan.
CSIRO recently looked at possible futures for the energy sector in Australia, and found that improving energy efficiency:
- Left householders with much lower energy bills
- Resulted in lower wholesale electricity prices, because less expenditure is needed on new generation assets.
- Gave the energy sector more time to transition to new forms of generation.
Upgrading the energy efficiency of school buildings will:
- Improve students’ comfort and ability to learn
- Deliver a stronger Queensland Budget by reducing expenditure on energy
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions; and
- Create jobs in trades and engineering, helping local companies expand and export into the rapidly growing global market for energy efficient products and services, which is worth over $290 billion per annum.
“This is a small first step, but it’s a smart move on the way to comprehensive plan to cut Queenslander’s energy bills,” said Luke Menzel.
Media contact:
Rob Murray-Leach
Mobile: 0414 065 556
Email: rob.murray-leach@eec.org.au