Another coal-fired power station for NSW?
25 Mar 2005
WWF is calling on the NSW Government to choose clean power options rather than another coal-fired power station.
The call comes as the State Government puts the final touches on an energy policy paper that will set the direction for the next generation of power stations and electricity services in NSW.
The provision of electricity from power stations is a crucial service and fundamental to our quality of life.
If we choose clean power technologies we can have affordable and secure electricity while still protecting the environment.
The provision of clean energy also presents us with the chance to create new job opportunities and reduce the damaging impact that greenhouse gas pollution is having on our climate.
Premier Bob Carr and the NSW Government have a historic choice to make. Will they stick to yesterday's coal-fired technologies or look to the future and ensure that a switch is made to cleaner alternatives?
You can help the Government make the right choice for the environment.
What you can do
- Download the Towards New South Wales' Clean Energy Future report, which outlines the potential for energy conservation in NSW. The report also details the viability of gas, bio-energy and wind resources as alternatives to building a new coal-fired power station by 2010.
- Support WWF's work to slow greenhouse pollution and protect the Australian environment from chaotic climate change.
For media enquiries:
Anna Reynolds, Climate Change Campaign Manager, WWF-Australia, 0419 547 217
Background
Climate Change is caused by high levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide entering our atmosphere and disrupting weather patterns.
In Australia around half our greenhouse pollution comes from the coal-fired power stations that make electricity for residential and commercial use.
Coal-fired power stations are the most greenhouse polluting way to make electricity yet 98% of NSW's electricity is made by burning coal.
There are many other ways to produce the electricity we need. There are also ways to conserve energy so that we don't need to build as many power stations. Below is a summary of some of the keys technologies we can use in the shift to clean energy.
Conserving Energy:
Like the successful work that has been achieved with saving water over the last few years, there is much we can do to cut the electricity we waste. We can prevent the need for more power stations with laws that require the use of energy saving building designs and appliances, for example.
Gas power stations:
Natural gas burned in a combined cycle gas plant can produce baseload power (like a coal plant) with less than half the carbon dioxide emissions generated by a coal-fired power station. These power stations also produce low levels of other pollutants generated by burning coal.
Biomass energy:
Biomass energy is obtained from the combustion or gasification of agricultural and plantation forestry products and wastes. The stubble left behind after our major crops are harvested is a resource that we currently waste yet it is effective as a fuel for power station turbines. As plants grow they suck up carbon dioxide. Consequently, growing and harvesting plants for power produces almost no carbon dioxide.
Wind energy:
Wind turbines capture the vast power resource that comes from the wind. Australia has some of the best wind resources in the world. It is a power technology that is affordable, flexible and can generate income to communities throughout regional Australia.
Solar energy:
Domestic sales of solar hot water heaters have been growing by more than 30% over the last two years. While this is a positive development, in many European countries (with far fewer sunny days than we have) the sales of solar hot water heaters are many times higher than this. Solar panels can also produce electricity, not just hot water. The output of photovoltaic systems are at their best on hot sunny afternoons, just when people are demanding more electricity for air conditioners. This type of solar is a crucial part of our future energy mix.
To find out more about WWF-Australia's work on climate change visit the Powerswitch! homepage or visit WWF International.
For media enquiries:
Anna Reynolds, Climate Change Campaign Manager, WWF-Australia, 0419 547 217
