Victoria will look to the post-2030 national electricity market reforms to support offshore wind, a source of energy supply that will be vital for the state, says Lily D’Ambrosio, the state’s former energy minister.
In an interview with Renew Economy, part of which was published here on Wednesday, D’Ambrosio also signalled the Carroll Labor government would continue to support the electrification of homes – including a ban on new gas connections. Work is also underway on regulating data centres.
Victoria last week launched its first offshore wind auction, with D’Ambrosio’s successor as energy minister, Jaclyn Symes, overseeing a process for the state’s first two gigawatts (GW) of projects. (Symes took over the role after D’Ambrosio stepped down at the end of July.)
Offshore wind is “not a nice-to-have,” D’Ambrosio said this week. “The fact is, if Victoria does not do offshore wind, we’ll have to do far more onshore development of renewable energy.”
Former energy minister for Victoria Lily D’Ambrosio.
