SA Voters Back 100% Renewable Energy By 2030

New polling indicates 69% of South Australian voters support a transition to 100% renewables-based electricity in the state by 2030. Even One Nation supporters seem pretty keen on the idea.

A survey conducted by The Australia Institute of 624 South Australians between 20 February 2019 and 4 March 2019 shows passion for renewables remains strong, regardless of political persuasion.

“The majority support for 100% renewable energy in SA cuts across party lines, with Coalition, Labor, Greens and One Nation voters all backing the policy,” said TAI’s projects manager Noah Schultz-Byard.

Mr. Schultz-Byard commented that the school students who went on strike recently were more in touch with public opinion than the politicians who criticised them.

“It’s important for our political leaders to understand that, with the next Federal Election just a handful of weeks away, South Australians have said in no uncertain terms that they support 100% renewable energy.”

Here’s the polling results:

How the totals stacked up:

• Strongly support – 31%
• Support – 38%
• Oppose – 8%
• Strongly oppose – 6%
• Don’t know/not sure – 17%

Further information on key results can be viewed here.

South Australia hit 46.2 per cent renewable energy in 2016, then dropped back to 43.4 per cent in 2017. When the Marshall Government came to power in 2018, it dumped the state’s target of 50% by 2025, causing SA to lose its status as outright leader in the Climate Council’s 2018 renewable energy score card.

However, South Australian Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said last year the state is on its way to meeting the previous Wetherill government’s commitment to an aspirational revised target of 75% renewable energy by 2025.

That being the case, 100% by 2030 isn’t unachievable – there’s more big solar and wind projects in the state’s pipeline and South Australians’ passion for rooftop solar power is still alive and well. According to the Australian Photovoltaic Institute, approximately 32.8% of all dwellings in SA have solar panels installed, and that figure is a little dated.

Sourcing 100% renewables based electricity – or equivalent of – won’t need a bunch of big batteries to back it. As well as South Australia being part of the National Electricity Market (NEM) – a number of pumped hydro storage projects are waiting in the wings and more are likely to come.

The Australian Energy Market Operator is apparently bullish on SA’s prospects, reportedly predicting last year the state could be sourcing the equivalent of 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2025.