Farmers Embracing Clean Energy to Boost Revenue
This article discusses how Australian farmers are financially benefiting from clean energy projects, such as hosting wind turbines and solar panels, while addressing the future of energy generation in Australia.
Farmers, too, stand to gain. They can be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in extra revenue to host wind turbines or solar panels on their properties. It's an immediate way for our farmers to mitigate the financial impact of the inevitable droughts and floods they have combated for generations. Australian sheep, beef, canola, and wheat farmers now have the choice to add an extra dimension to their businesses by becoming wind and solar farmers, using parcels of their land that aren't suited to their main crops or livestock.
And it doesn't stop there. Neighbouring landholders can also benefit from direct payments by clean energy companies, and local community funds have been established to improve facilities and services in the areas hosting renewable energy projects. The industry is working with local communities to ensure these projects benefit everyone. But we want to do more. We want to improve community engagement and make sure that Australians from all walks of life have a say in what these projects look like in their local areas.
Let's face the facts: an operational nuclear reactor is, at best, 20 years away. So what does Australia do in the meantime? Almost every single coal-fired power station is expected to close in the next decade, with only a few exceptions. Waiting for nuclear power won't fill the shortfall in energy generation that's coming. Keeping coal stations open will cost billions in taxpayer handouts, and given their age, that investment will not guarantee they continue generating power as we need them to. To borrow another car analogy, it's like spending a fortune on an old car trying to keep it on the road - no matter how much money you throw at it, it's still likely to break down.
That's the reality of where we are at. So, doesn't it make sense to continue building clean energy projects that can be done quickly, affordably, and sustainably? By the end of the year, it's likely that half of all Australia's energy needs will be powered by clean energy. Shouldn't we just keep going?
