Canberra to shift completely to renewable energy by 2025

Canberra is set to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. The Australian capital has already committed to a target of 90 per cent renewable energy within the next five years and has initiated a series of large-scale wind and solar projects, both locally and interstate.

"The commitment I’ll announce in my address to the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Labor Conference today will put the ACT at the global forefront for a response to climate change—building on our current agenda which will see 90 per cent of our energy needs delivered through renewable sources by 2020," said Environment Minister Simon Corbell. "We can do this. We have shown it’s possible—now we have one small step left. 100 per cent renewable energy will drive further jobs growth in our research and corporate sectors." 

The city has already seen a 400 per cent increase in renewable energy jobs in the past five years, and there will be more to come, Corbell said.

The government will continue to divest the ACT investment portfolio of high-carbon emitting companies and sectors—all without costing the Canberra community one cent in lower returns.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson was, however, less enthusiastic about the plan. "Well, we are very supportive of renewable energy but the problem is if you go to 100 per cent the cost of that is enormous, what we're going to see is power bills going up through the roof across Canberra,” he said.