Fact sheet - Energy Emissions Reduction and Resilience Plan 2024-29

The Tasmanian Government has prepared the first five-year Emissions Reduction and Resilience Plan for the energy sector, in consultation with business, industry and the community.

The energy Plan brings together new, existing, and ongoing projects in the energy sector that will help us reduce emissions and build resilience to the changing climate.

Focus areas of the Plan

1. We will support renewable energy development in Tasmania.
2. We will support Tasmanians to transition their energy use to renewable alternatives, improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
3. We will de-risk the transition to a low emissions economy.
4. We will build resilience to the impacts of climate change.
5. We will drive action through partnerships and collaboration.

In 2024, government staff met with key industry and business stakeholders to develop the Plan. The draft Plan was released in late 2024 for public comment. Feedback from consultation has been used to prepare the Plan.

Key new actions

• Develop information and resources to support improving energy efficiency in Tasmanian households, with a focus on supporting landlords to improve energy efficiency in rental properties.
• Work with partners to support households to make informed decisions about reducing or electrifying their gas and other fossil fuel use.
• Work with partners to deliver workshops for community sector professionals to assist vulnerable clients to manage their energy use and power bills.

Given Tasmania’s major industrials are large energy users, two new initiatives will play an important role in supporting the transition to low emissions for both the energy and IPPU sectors:

• Map the strategic transition requirements for Tasmanian businesses to reduce emissions from their energy use and industrial processes to support government and industry to plan for the transition.
• Expand the current engagement with Tasmanian major industrial businesses to support our large emitters to reduce emissions and achieve their decarbonisation plans.

The Energy Plan also includes future funding priorities to guide action over the next five years.

The new commitments in the energy Plan are in addition to the extensive work already underway to develop new renewable electricity generation in the state, support the adoption of renewable alternatives and increase resilience in our industries, homes, and businesses.

Snapshot of the energy sector

Greenhouse gas emissions

Energy keeps our homes warm during the winter months, enables the operations of local businesses, supports the growth of our industries, and provides countless other essential services.

Due to the dominance of renewables in Tasmania’s electricity grid, the state has very low emissions from electricity generation compared to other jurisdictions. The small amount of emissions from electricity are made from non-renewable electricity sources such as gas-fired power and diesel generators. How much we use these sources depends on a range of factors such as how much hydro and wind generation we have available, relative power prices and what the demand is in Tasmania and Victoria.

However, electricity is not the only source of energy in Tasmania. Some Tasmanian businesses and households still rely on the direct combustion of fossil fuels such as gas, coal, diesel and petroleum for their energy needs. This is common in industries such as agriculture, forestry, mining, and manufacturing, and for cooking in households.

Emissions from these sources make up a much higher proportion of the state’s emissions.

Find out more about Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and other sectors in our annual greenhouse gas report

Climate-related risks and opportunities

Climate change brings significant risks for Tasmania’s energy sector. As energy markets and the regulatory landscape change, businesses and industry will need to consider the impacts and how they will respond to continue to operate successfully.

Tasmania’s electricity networks are likely to face increased disruptions as a result of more frequent and severe weather events. Increased frequency of storms, flooding, and intense bushfires will mean an increased risk of damage and disruption to infrastructure, including roads, and transmission and distribution networks, causing disruption to energy supply.

However, there are opportunities for Tasmania to benefit from the development of new technologies as alternatives to fossil fuels such as a green hydrogen (hydrogen produced using renewable energy). The transition can also bring opportunities for Tasmanian businesses to benefit from Tasmania’s renewable energy, increase productivity, reduce costs, and explore new revenue streams.

Find out more about the Tasmanian Government’s action to build resilience to the impacts of climate change in our response to Tasmania’s Risk Assessment for Climate Change 2024