Queensland bid for smart grid dollars
Source: Queensland. Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. Media Release
"A Queensland Government consortium has today launched a bid for $100 million in federal funds to build a demonstration smart electricity grid for Australia.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said Queensland’s demonstration grid would show how promising new technologies could be successfully applied to the Australian lifestyle, climate and geography. He said a sustainable future electricity industry would require better use of renewable energy sources and greater understanding of how we use energy. “The Queensland Smart Communities bid would incorporate renewable energy technologies into the electricity network, along with information technology that will help consumers make better-informed and smarter choices about their energy use,” Mr Robertson said. “New technologies include a solar thermal storage technology pilot, which captures heat from the sun and stores it for future electricity generation. “Another technology to be trialled is the coupling of solar photo-voltaics with applications that will fit them to modern power grids, proving their worth as a reliable source of clean, green energy,” he said."