The Hon. Mark Furner, Minister for Rural Communities (Qld), The Hon. Mick de Brenni, Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen (Qld), Joint Media Release, 20 March 2023

As part of the Palaszczuk Government’s Regional Community Forum visit to the Central Highlands, members of the government celebrated Emerald being selected for Central Queensland’s next large-scale network-connected battery site.

The new battery is one of the next 12 large-scale, electricity network-connected batteries that will help Queensland communities reap even more benefits from rooftop solar.

Emerald is home to over 1,920 solar systems, and the battery will allow locals to capture cheap renewable energy and drive down power bills, easing the cost of living.

Quotes attributable to Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke:

“The renewable energy revolution in Central Queensland is good for jobs, good for the economy, and good for the environment, and proudly led by our publicly owned transmission and distribution companies Powerlink and Ergon Energy.

“Construction work is also underway on building a brand-new 50MW battery near Gracemere, which could provide enough power for nearly all the homes in Gracemere and changes the way energy supply and demand can be managed during peak times.

“It means we can pump more cheap renewables into the Queensland SuperGrid and create more good jobs in our publicly owned energy system for workers in Central Queensland.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga:

“It’s not just Central Queensland households that are tapping into the energy bill savings from batteries, but our major electricity generators are too.

“I recently joined the Premier to announce that Stanwell Power Station will build a 150MW Tesla Megapack system, strategically located near Stanwell to soak up the region’s cheap renewable energy.

“It will commence later this year, creating around 80 full-time jobs over the construction phases, and six full-time jobs over the 20-year operation and maintenance phases.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner:

“Central Queensland is already playing an enormous role in capturing the state’s solar potential, so it’s now time to supercharge Emerald’s local energy security and affordability with this network-connected battery.

“The great value of locating this new battery project in Emerald is that it will support additional solar energy in the local area over the next decade.

“This is a game changer for the local community’s energy security, affordability and sustainability, and it supports good local jobs in our publicly owned energy companies.

“Queensland already has world record amounts of rooftop solar with more than 700,000 homes and small businesses across Queensland generating around 4,100MW of clean energy.

“With 1 in 3 Queensland homes using solar, the nation’s biggest power station is Queensland’s rooftop solar and now Emerald can play a leading role in our growth to 70% renewables by 2032.”

Quotes attributable to Energy Queensland’s General Manager for Energy Storage, Glenn Dahlenburg:

“This new battery at Emerald will ensure that the energy generated locally stays locally, instead of putting pressure on upstream infrastructure.

“As we connect more renewables for our customers, battery storage will give us greater flexibility to connect rooftop solar, balance supply and demand, and keep voltages in check, which is vital for the security of the network that powers Queensland.

“With these battery projects we’re aiming for a win-win-win scenario that achieves the energy trifecta for communities throughout the state – affordability, security and sustainability.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni:

“The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is all about a future of cheaper, cleaner and secure energy for Queenslanders, powering good jobs in new regional industries.

“We’re building the Queensland SuperGrid, Australia’s largest, to transport renewable energy and power industry and households.

“As Queensland progresses toward its renewable energy target, batteries, firming and other storage options will become increasingly important.

“Local network-connected batteries will play a key role in supporting households and businesses to install more rooftop solar, putting more downward pressure on bills and easing the cost of living.”