The Queensland government has significantly undermined the Albanese government’s ambitious 62% to 70% emissions reduction target by 2035 by extending the lifespan of the state’s coal-fired generation until the mid-2040s or later.
Queensland Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki released the Liberal National Party government’s five-year energy road map on Friday. It called for the state’s gas generation capacity to be increased from 3.5 gigawatts now to between 6.1 and 8.3GW in 2035, along with a recommitment to keeping some government-owned coal-fired electricity plants open until at least 2046.
The current total generation capacity of coal-fired power is about 8GW, while rooftop solar’s total capacity is 7GW.
