Conservation Council CE Tim Kelly said: "While our state government has shown strong leadership on climate change in the past, we are seriously losing momentum. SA has no target to reduce emissions until 2050, and we are preparing to build the world's largest open-cut mine that will ramp up our energy demand by nearly 40%."
"If we don't seriously ramp up renewables at the same time, it will be impossible to bring our emissions down in the way we urgently need to.
"The first step should be the retirement of Playford power station at Port Augusta. It is nearly 50 years old and pollutes highly every time it is switched on. These days we can do so much better. SA has an abundance of renewable options, with some upgrades and extensions to our transmission lines they can start greening Australia's energy grid," he said.
The Conservation Council SA will commission a feasibility study to explore the replacement of the brown coal power station with a baseload renewable energy facility and clean energy jobs at Port Augusta. It will then work with the community to lobby state and federal governments to support this transition.
The Green our Grid campaign will be launched as the Conservation Council celebrates its 40th anniversary with a lunch at the Adelaide Zoo. Speakers include Minister Jay Weatherill, Conservation Council President Rob Fowler and Dr Susannah Elliot, CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre and member of the federal government's new Climate Commission.
For a copy of the Prospectus, click here.
