The largest city in Australia, Sydney, is now being powered a 100% on renewable sources of energy.?
Be it city-owned properties--115 buildings which include libraries, community halls and office buildings, to 75 parks, five pools and 23,000 street lights--or the Sydney Town Hall, everything in the city now operates from the renewable electricity generated from wind and solar farms in the New South Wales (NSW) region.
The complete renewable switch, began on July 1, and is the result of a 10-year power purchase agreement with Australian retailer Flow Power, worth AUS$60 million. Reportedly, this move will save the city more than half million dollars on its electricity bills for the next 10 years. It will also reduce carbon emissions by about 20,000 tonnes a year. This is equivalent to the power used by 6,000 average households.?
Reportedly, 75% of the power will be wind-generated, rest will be solar. Renewable energy is being sourced from the Bomen Solar Farm in Wagga Wagga, Sapphire Wind Farm near Inverell and the Shoalhaven solar farm in Nowra.
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"We are in the middle of a climate emergency. If we are to reduce emissions and grow the green power sector, all levels of government must urgently transition to renewable energy," Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore reportedly said. Sydney aims to reduce its carbon emission by 70% by 2030 but it might achieve that six years early by 2024 due to the new deal.?
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More and more countries are releasing the importance of shifting to renewable sources of energy. Germany plans to phase out coal power plants completely by 2038. Asian countries need to start taking active measures to do the same.?