Australian Parents for Climate Action are cheering from the rooftops with some good news for our kids - three state governments are now actively rolling out more solar and even batteries for state schools.
This week the NSW and Tasmanian governments both announced the names of schools that will be receiving solar, and in NSW this includes 25 schools that will also act as virtual power plants as part of a pilot program before rolling this energy innovation out to all public schools.
Western Australia is also in the process of implementing their $44.6 million Schools Clean Energy Technology package, as announced by the McGowan government in the lead up to their March election.
“To see NSW, Tasmanian and WA state governments all embracing renewable energy in schools is a big win for our kids' future,” said father of two and Australian Parents for Climate Action CEO Nic Seton from his home in Sydney.
“Once again, state governments are leading the way on climate innovation, proving that climate action should not be a political football. In the UK, both sides of national politics agree on taking climate action. Australian parents in their thousands are telling the Federal Government that they want less politics and more climate action.”
“Last year during lockdown, hundreds of parents and their kids around Australia made hand crafted suns and took selfies, to send a message to the Prime Minister that they wanted him to put solar and batteries on schools and early childhood centres as part of COVID recovery.”
“The PM turned a deaf ear to these parents and their kids, and the 12,000 Australian parents who signed our open letter calling on the PM to Solar Our Schools.”
“Now we are celebrating this massive win for these concerned parents, with state governments on both sides of politics listening and acting to Solar Our Schools.”
“Australian Parents for Climate Action is continuing to meet with both major parties federally and in the states to ask them to Solar Our Schools. A joint state and federal agreement to Solar Our Schools would create 7,000 jobs nationwide in renewable energy, plus the money saved from power bills could employ 4,000 more teachers - helping to fix our national teacher shortage. Not to mention the millions of tonnes of carbon emissions that would be saved.”
For further comment contact Nic Seton, CEO Australian Parents for Climate Action 0407 638 973
Notes:
- 21 July 2021, Tasmania’s Minister for Education, Sarah Courtney, announced the first tranche of Tasmanian schools to get solar arrays under the Tasmanian Liberal Government’s $5 million Renewable Energy Schools Program: http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/site_resources_2015/additional_releases/more_solar_schools_on_the_way
- 25 July 2021, NSW Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell, announced the NSW schools in the pilot program to explore the potential for schools to use solar PV panels and batteries to generate electricity for themselves and create enough to supply electricity to the state’s energy grid: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PorjVwrLbW9e7SXlOA-my1gqwOxaBbb0/view?usp=sharing
- February 19, 2021, in the lead up to the state election, the WA McGowan Labor Government committed to a $44.6 million Schools Clean Energy Technology package, which will go towards the installation of new energy technologies in public schools including rooftop solar systems: https://www.markmcgowan.com.au/2021/02/19/wa-labor-to-power-schools-with-greener-energy-systems/