Published: July 21, 2009 - 02:27 PM
New solar power plants and cleaner coal facilities to be built
The Australian has reported that he federal government will spend billions making Australian electricity greener with huge new solar power plants and cleaner coal facilities.
The government has delayed emissions trading to spur other ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The climate change budget has been increased, despite tough economic times, to $15 billion over nine years.
$1.5 billion of the climate change budget has been allocated to the construction of four of the world's largest solar power plants - three times the size of any solar power plant in the world. The new solar farms will pump out as much electricity as a large coal-fired power station - 1000 megawatts.
Coal is also included in the government's climate change budget with $2 billion to be spent building between up to four industrial-sized coal-fired power plants which use cleaner technology. The plants will use Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which captures the carbon emissions from power plants and stores them underground.
The government plans to start emissions trading in 2011 and has already helped households cut emissions through measures like free ceiling insulation.
The budget has also provided $100 million for one unnamed regional city to become a green energy showcase. The money will pay for "smart meters" in homes, which can regulate electricity use, and to integrate those meters with solar and wind power.
Australia recently promised to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2020, if there is a very strong international agreement on climate change.
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