Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has unveiled offshore wind targets in his first “state of the state” address in two years.
Speaking at the annual Committee for Economic Development of Australia event on Friday, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Mr Andrews outlined a vision for Victoria’s future offshore wind production.
Under the targets, two gigawatts or 20 per cent of the state’s energy needs would produced by offshore wind by 2032, which Mr Andrews said would be enough power 1.5 million homes.
That figure would rise to four gigawatts by 2035 and nine gigawatts by 2040.
“We will meet and exceed these targets,” Mr Andrews said at the CEDA event.
He said 60 per cent of Australia’s national energy mix was currently made up of fossil fuels and the nation was lagging behind the rest the world in generating renewables.
“We are a first world country with second rate renewable energy ambitions,” the premier said.
“Australia’s renewal targets are eclipsed, embarrassingly eclipsed, by those set by the states and territories.”
The Victorian government last year pledged $40 million to fund scoping studies and pre-construction development for three proposed wind farms off the state’s coast.