Solar Citizens
$40,000 | December 2021
What do Solar Citizens do?
Solar Citizens campaigns for a fast and fair transition to renewable energy that is aligned with current climate science. To achieve this they build power in the community and advocate for government policies that benefit consumers by fast-tracking the uptake of cheaper renewable energy and cleaner electric transport.
The aim of their Queensland work is to demonstrate to key decision makers, including State Ministers and candidates running in the federal election, that fast-tracking the transition to renewable energy and electric transport is beneficial for the long-term prosperity of the State and enjoys broad community support, even in regional Queensland.
Why is this work important
Queensland, and in particular Townsville, has been a focus of SC’s campaign work for a number of years now because community attitudes in the Sunshine State have a disproportionate influence on the Australian political narrative. Their work has focused on building community support for more local renewable energy projects and renewable-powered industry by telling a positive story about the jobs and economic opportunities that abundant, cheap renewable energy can unlock.
But while we’ve witnessed a shift in regional attitudes over the last few years, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that all levels of government are pursuing initiatives aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. The upcoming Federal election is a unique opportunity to escalate our work and achieve policy commitments from both the Queensland and Federal governments.
Their campaign aims to galvanise local support in Townsville for renewable energy and hydrogen development, making the clean energy transition a key election issue.
How is Groundswell supporting this work?
With Groundswell support, Solar Citzens goals include':
The elected Federal government provides significant additional funding for renewable hydrogen and Queensland renewable infrastructure, including underwriting a Renewable Energy Zone as they have done in NSW.
The Queensland Government goes further than its existing promises by ensuring each of the three committed Renewable Energy Zones underpins 2,000MW of new renewable generation by 2025.
Our Queensland supporter base grows from 25,000 people to 35,000.
They will achieve these objectives by hiring a local Townsville organiser to grow our on-the-ground supporter base, hold community events and actions, and create opportunities to get local media.
Some of the key tactics include:
Building a local coalition calling for Federal and State funding to support the North Queensland Renewable Energy Zone and the Townsville Renewable Energy Industry Precinct.
Hosting a Townsville Clean Energy Summit alongside Townsville Enterprise.
Re-opening our shopfront in the centre of Townsville – an organiser is crucial for this project.
Engaging with the community through stalls and events at the shopfront in order to grow our supporter base.
Advertising on billboards, buses and online to demonstrate how more clean energy can benefit the community.
Grant update
Media
Solar Citizens generated 85 unique media stories in Queensland leading up to the election, 35 of which were in the regions. Solar Citizens has established itself as a credible energy commentator and were frequently contacted by media outlets in regional Queensland.
Townsville shopfront
They opened a shop front in Townsville city’s main street enabling the community to learn face to face about how renewable energy creates local jobs.
Advertising
Solar Citizens reached 1.24 million Queenslanders with online advertising, on top of advertising on billboards and in the Townsville Bulletin, demonstrating how renewable energy is already creating cheap electricity and local jobs.
Other achievements include:
They encouraged 2,500 supporters across the State to take action, including by writing to key Queensland Ministers, meeting their local MP, or letterboxing our election scorecard.
They hosted regular market stalls, community events and actions to raise community awareness about how Queensland’s energy transition can lead to future economic prosperity for the State.
Working with allied groups, business leaders, unions and key stakeholders in Townsville to find alignment so as to advocate for the same policy and funding outcomes. For example, Townsville Enterprise featured their campaign ask in their submission to the Queensland Government on the Renewable Energy Zone rollout.
They built and strengthened relationships with renewable developers and proponents of renewable manufacturing projects so that they can work together to identify opportunities and align media commentary. For example, CopperString contacted Solar Citizens prior to the federal election to work together on a media push for their project.
They launched three reports that encouraged the state and federal governments to commit to an urgent energy transition by demonstrating how abundant renewable energy can create jobs. This included the Turning Townsville into a Renewable Hydrogen and Industry Powerhouse report, which produced several local media stories during the federal election campaign.
Campaign Impacts
Compared to 2019, there was a monumental shift in the funding commitments the Morrison Government put forward in the 2022 federal election campaign. Promises of a new North Queensland coal-fired power station virtually disappeared from the media headlines and instead both major political parties promised to turn Townsville into a renewable hydrogen hub with a $70 million funding commitment.
In regional Queensland we saw a very different campaign narrative in the lead up to polling day compared with the 2019 election. In Townsville where Solar Citizens been working for a number of years, coal was not on the local agenda and the Labor candidate ran on a platform of turning Townsville into a ‘new energy solutions hub’. The local LNP MP Phillip Thompson attended a climate rally days out from the election – evidence that he was aware of the mounting community pressure for more climate action.
The Morrison Government allocated $12 million to establish the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct in Townsville – a site that will house proposed projects including two renewable hydrogen production facilities, as well as solar panel and battery material manufacturing facilities.
Federal Labor announced a further $22 million for the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct. This additional funding positions Townsville to become a leader in renewable-powered manufacturing.
In a state-wide context, last year the Queensland Government announced a $2 billion Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs fund and has since begun allocating this funding. So far 480 MW of new renewable capacity is on track to be delivered with the help of this fund, as well as a renewable hydrogen demonstration plant. Solar Citizens worked with allied climate groups and unions to win this commitment.
In total, 1,350 MW of new renewable generation is expected to connect to the grid this year in Queensland, up from 228 MW in 2020. The majority of this new generation has been supported by agreements with state-owned energy corporations.
The Queensland Government has begun allocating their $145 million Renewable Energy Zone fund, with $62 million pledged to build grid infrastructure in Northern Queensland and fund a study into the Borumba pumped hydro project.
The State Government has also committed to deliver a 10-Year Energy Plan that will map a pathway to 2032 – the year Brisbane will host the world’s first climate positive Olympics. This provides an exciting opportunity for the State Government to announce more ambitious energy transition goals.