Queensland Makes Way for Geothermal Energy Production in Australia

The Queensland Parliament has issued a new legislation that facilitates and encourages safe production of renewable, clean geothermal energy for the State’s electricity generation.

This signifies an exciting development towards Queensland’s energy sector as the State propels forward towards a future of clean energy. The state government will be investing $15 million over the next five years for the Queensland Geothermal Centre of Excellence that is based at the Queensland University.

Geothermal energy is the energy that is drawn from the hot rocks and water that exists below the surface of the earth. This energy has the potential for producing power that is virtually free from CO₂ emissions. A key topic with reference to the legislation on geothermal energy would be towards promoting competition in this field while ensuring that Queensland remains quite an attractive destination for companies dealing renewable energy.

The legislation allows companies for commencing large-scale production under the geothermal energy segment, thus providing a clear alternative for Queenslanders in electricity supply that is not fossil-fuel based. This new framework will be regulating exploration as well as large-scale production in the right balance for encouraging this industry in Queensland. Queensland is already operating Australia’s only power plant for geothermal energy located at Birdsville while the Government will be investing $4.3 million towards upgrading the present 80 kW geothermal power station.