A MASSIVE introduction of solar-thermal power plants and wind farms would allow Australia to generate all its energy needs from renewable technologies by 2020, research shows.
The report, to be announced today by the retiring Liberal Victorian senator Judith Troeth, the Greens senator Christine Milne and the Independent Nick Xenophon, finds a 100 per cent renewable plan by 2020 would cost $37 billion a year, in public and private money - or 3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
The report is the result of a research collaboration between an environment group, Beyond Zero Emissions, and Melbourne University's Energy Research Institute, with input from engineering firm Sinclair Knight Merz.
Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan analyses the best technical approach to reach 100 per cent renewable energy production by 2020.
Beyond Zero Emission's director, Matthew Wright, said yesterday the report only included commercially proven technologies, and therefore did not consider geothermal or wave power.
Under the plan 60 per cent of energy would come from base load solar-thermal plants built at 12 sites. The other 40 per cent would be generated by wind energy, with 8000 six-megawatt turbines at 23 sites.
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