The boss of Victoria’s peak business body has warned businesses will leave the state in droves if the government can’t guarantee energy supply in its bid to reach net zero emissions.
At an industry lunch on Friday, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra urged attendees to “call out the bulls--t” and not rule out any power sources in the transition to net zero.
“We can’t get to net zero on a hope and a prayer,” he said.
“We cannot let energy security be the casualty of our transition to net zero. If the government cannot guarantee that the lights remain on in this state, then I can guarantee that many businesses will find places other than Victoria to set up.” The Victorian government has set ambitious targets to cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net zero by 2045. The government is hoping that 95 per cent of the state’s energy will be powered by renewables by 2035.
From January 1 this year, gas connections have been banned on all new home builds that require a planning permit.
But Mr Guerra said every resource should be considered, especially after the “fragility” of Victoria’s energy network was exposed last month when 500,000 homes and businesses had their power cut during a wild weather event.
“Yes gas, yes hydrogen, yes solar, yes wind, yes coal for hydrogen, and yes whatever else happens to be a possibility to help us get there,” he said, urging attendees to “call out the bulls--t and call out the ideology. This is our future.”