Narrabri is the proposed location of a highly controversial coal seam gas proposal by Santos, but research conducted and released by ISF, commissioned by Lock The Gate, reveals that in comparison to Santos’ gas field, renewable energy could deliver more numerous and more lasting jobs.
Summary of report findings
- The NSW Renewable Energy Action Plan supports the former national target of 20 per cent renewable energy by 2020. According to this plan, the NSW Government’s vision for a secure, reliable, affordable and clean energy future is estimated to create 6,000 jobs in regional NSW.
- To produce Renewable Narrabri, the Institute for Sustainable Futures undertook modelling of the renewable energy potential of Narrabri Shire, producing two scenarios of renewable energy development in the region: an Advanced Renewables Export Scenario (RE-ADV-X) and a Renewables Export Scenario (RE-X).
- Mapping of solar and wind resources, industry price and employment data was used to estimate the investment and employment potential of the two scenarios, and the area of land needed to provide those jobs. In both scenarios, the Narrabri Shire plays an important part in New South Wales’ energy transformation.
Advance Renewables Scenario
This scenario models the role that Narrabri could play if there was a rapid transformation in Australia to a wholly renewable energy system by 2030. This scenario would:
- involve $6.5 billion of financial investment
- install 3,800 MW of solar photovoltaic electricity, and 600 MW of wind power capacity
- export most of this capacity to the national energy grid
- use just 17 per cent of the land area required for the proposed Narrabri Santos gas field
- create 3,600 jobs during the construction and installation period, and 2,840 ongoing maintenance and operation jobs by 2030
- mean all ongoing jobs would be local to Narrabri because fly-in/fly-out workforce is not feasible
- provide new opportunities in vocational education and skills development.
Renewables Export scenario
The second scenario is more modest and is highly achievable given current NSW policies relating to renewable energy. This scenario would:
- involve $1 billion of financial investment
- install 622 MW of solar photovoltaic electricity, and 175 MW of wind power capacity
- allow for surplus energy to be exported to the national electricity market
- use just 4 per cent of the land area required for the proposed Narrabri Santos gas field
- create 500 permanent local jobs in operation and maintenance by 2030
- mean these would all be local jobs because a fly-in/fly-out workforce is not feasible.
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
Renewable Narrabri Shire: Solar and Wind versus Gas In North-West New South Wales (2018) (Report)
Researchers
-
Associate Professor and Research Director -
Tom Morris
-
Senior Research Consultant
Year
- 2018
Client
- Lock The Gate
