![Professor Andrew Blakers from the ANU's school of engineering says Goulburn and region has huge renewable energy opportunities. Picture by Louise Thrower. Professor Andrew Blakers from the ANU's school of engineering says Goulburn and region has huge renewable energy opportunities. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/eb85fd86-4600-4d06-a875-285aeacbe9be.JPG/r0_19_4126_2840_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Billions of dollars in renewable energy investment can flow into Goulburn if the city and region embrace opportunities, says an academic.
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Professor Andrew Blakers from the School of Engineering at the Australian National University (ANU), has also scotched suggestions that agriculture and large-scale solar farms couldn't co-exist.
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He recently addressed a forum at Goulburn's Performing Arts Centre, which up to 120 people attended and others watched on zoom.
He spoke about wind, solar, transmission lines and pumped hydro possibilities for the region.
If people thought the area already had enough large-scale solar proposals, he carried a blunt message.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," Professor Blakers said.
The researcher has produced 'heat maps' identifying places in Australia that have the lowest indicative costs for establishing wind and solar projects.
He found that Hume and Calare federal electorates were two of the top five Renewable Energy Zones in Australia.
"They have great wind, solar, transmission and pumped hydro possibilities so it means there will be tens of billions of dollars in investment flowing into Hume and Calare and thousands of permanent jobs," he said.
"They all need to be near transmission and Goulburn has got it."
Professor Blakers said the Hume Highway and Hunter transmission routes were the only plausible ways to increase energy supply to Sydney given the "natural constraints" on the Blue Mountains and South Coast lines.
![Bungonia woman and The Goulburn Group member, Julia Mckay, Parkes mayor, Ken Keith and Professor Andrew Blakers spoke at the recent renewable energy forum. Picture by Louise Thrower. Bungonia woman and The Goulburn Group member, Julia Mckay, Parkes mayor, Ken Keith and Professor Andrew Blakers spoke at the recent renewable energy forum. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/2d8be942-326e-47e2-ae1d-123fc2bb6228.JPG/r105_0_4288_2821_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Asked his thoughts on two large-scale solar farms proposals near Goulburn, he told The Post he did not understand public opposition.
"To tell someone you won't allow them to build solar on their property because you don' t like it is bizarre," he said.
"If the landowner is happy and it meets all the planning requirements, what is the problem? You can't see it if you put landscaping around it, smell, touch or taste it. (This view) is being precious," he said.
However landowners have argued large solar farms devalue their properties and impede agricultural potential.
Professor Blakers brands the latter as "nonsense," saying if spaced properly sheep can graze underneath and between. Further, landholders received lease payments from the solar company and "free lawn mowing."
He described the scale of Goulburn district proposals as "small."
"Australia needs to build about 500 gigawatts of solar and wind technology to get rid of all fossil fuels," he said.
"We absolutely have to do that but at the moment we have just 40 gigawatts...So whatever you think you have now, it's going to be 12 times bigger by 2050."
In addition, 1500 square kilometres of land was required to achieve 100 per cent renewables and Australia had 7.5 million sqkm.
![Convenor of The Goulburn Group's forum, Mike Steketee and Parkes mayor Ken Keith caught up for a chat. Picture by Louise Thrower. Convenor of The Goulburn Group's forum, Mike Steketee and Parkes mayor Ken Keith caught up for a chat. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/561754f9-96b5-4e45-bbc7-f4896dfacc02.JPG/r0_48_4288_2792_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He believed landowners could strengthen their positions by gauging their properties' suitability for wind and solar from the heat maps. They considered distance from transmission lines, protected lands, aspect and slope.
Then he recommended neighbours form a consortia and negotiate with solar or wind farm proponents "from a position of strength"
"The whole purpose of the heat maps is to empower landowners and councils to see where the good places are located. Solar and wind companies already have these maps, so they know," Professor Blakers said.
He also applauded 2022 NSW legislation awarding greater compensation to property owners hosting transmission line.
Professor Blakers said the Hume electorate, which included Goulburn and the Great Dividing Range, was ideal for pumped hydro. This form currently represented 95pc of global power storage and batteries - 2pc.
"A billion dollar investment will alienate just two or three square kilometres," he said.
The academic told The Post that Australia should harness renewable energy opportunities. The fact that most solar panels were manufactured in China was "intolerable."
The forum also heard from Parkes mayor Ken Keith who hosts a solar farm on his property. He reported increased wool yields from a 200-head whether trial and said the sheep had done better on the solar farm than under normal feeding conditions.
The Goulburn Group member, Julia McKay spoke about agrovoltaics and the scope for combining solar farms with horticulture.
Professor Blakers' heat and pumped hydro maps can be accessed at https://re100.eng.anu.edu.au/heatmaps/
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