Coalition gives $54m from CEFC to large-scale solar and renews pumped hydro push

Treasurer Scott Morrison (left) brought a piece of
coal toquestion time on 9 February, and Greens
 MP Adam Bandt brought a solar panel on 13
February. Energy security has become a key
political battleground since parliament
 returned last week.

The Turnbull government has given a $54m loan from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to a large-scale solar development which it says has the potential for pumped hydro storage.

Malcolm Turnbull and the energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, have announced the government had directed the CEFC and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) to fund large-scale storage and other flexible capacity projects including pumped hydro.

The solar development will take place at Genex Power’s Kidston renewable energy hub, 270km north-west of Townsville.

Arena has provided $4m to study the next phase, a 250 MW pumped hydro-storage project. If a large-scale pumped hydro project is eventually built, it will be the first time such a form of storage has been co-located with a large-scale solar farm.

Read The Guardian story - “Coalition gives $54m from CEFC to large-scale solar and renews pumped hydro push.”