Central and North Queensland is home to some of the largest and best quality coal reserves in the world. That coal is currently being exported to other countries around the world for making steel and generating electricity with clean coal-fired power plants.

Clean coal-fired power plants produce up to 50% fewer emissions and more than 2000 of these new generators have already been built or are under construction around the world, predominantly in China and India. North Queensland is the perfect location for Australia to build its first.

North Queensland industries pay an exorbitant price for electricity because so much power is lost transmitting over long distances. Building a power plant at the mouth of a coal mine makes economic sense – cutting transport costs to the power plant and reducing losses from long distance transmission. 

Townsville Enterprise Limited commissioned a report, titled, Base Load Power in North Queensland and the Dalrymple Agricultural Scheme, which noted the need for additional generation capacity.

According to the report: “In March 2014, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) reported under its medium economic growth scenario that there would likely be a breach of the reliability standard (deficit of suitable generation capacity) in Queensland in 2020–21 without increased supply capacity.”

The report found that a clean coal-fired power plant would be commercially viable and would put strong downward pressure on electricity prices – with a potential social cost benefit gain of $836 million.

If we want to create jobs and lower the cost of reliable electricity, building clean coal-fired power plant in North Queensland is the answer.

If you support jobs and affordable, reliable power in North Queensland, sign my petition below and I will take a strong message to the government that we need support jobs and industry in the North.