Imagine a wealthy state like Victoria being home to the dirtiest power station in the industrialized world. You’d think that was impossible wouldn’t you? Unfortunately its not, which is why we’re campaigning for the closure of Hazelwood power station and its replacement with cleaner, greener alternatives.
The Basics
Hazelwood power station, located in the Latrobe Valley, is Australia’s dirtiest power station.
It pumps out more than 16 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution each year. That’s 15 percent of Victoria’s annual greenhouse gas emissions!
Hazelwood burns brown coal, one of the dirtiest forms of energy.
It was built in the 1960’s and was scheduled to close down in 2005 until its life was extended by the Bracks Government. Hop here for more details.
As well as being a huge greenhouse polluter, Hazelwood is also a massive user of water and emitter of dangerous pollutants.
Hazelwood’s annual water use is 27 billion litres. If Hazelwood was closed much of this water could be returned to the struggling Latrobe River which flows into the Gippsland Lakes.
The National Pollutant Inventory shows that Hazelwood is the single largest source of dioxin pollution in Australia, as well as emitting 7800 tonnes of hydrochloric acid each year.
Numerous studies have shown that it is possible to replace Hazelwood with a combination of renewable energy, energy efficiency and peaking gas plants. The jobs in construction and operation of these power stations would far exceed the 500 jobs that currently exist at Hazelwood, though effort would need to be taken to ensure that new jobs were created in the Latrobe Valley.
The company which owns Hazelwood, International Power, recently flagged to the Federal Government that they would be prepared to close the power station with the right financial incentives.
In 2010 Environment Victoria is running a major campaign to close Hazelwood. We are calling on the state and federal governments to negotiate a plan with International Power for them to close Hazelwood by 2012.
There are alternatives to polluting coal
This year, Environment Victoria is spearheading a major campaign calling on the state and federal governments to close Hazelwood Power Station by 2012, and replace it with a combination of renewable energy, energy efficiency and as a transition fuel, gas.
Great. I’m in. So what can I do?
Welcome aboard! We need your help spreading the word, talking to your community, and building support for Hazelwood to be closed and replaced with cleaner energy sources by 2012.
Here’s how you can help.
1. Sign a letter to the Labor and Coalition Party Leaders, calling on them to commit to Replace Hazelwood with Clean Energy by 2012. Sign away
2. Sign up to our climate ebulletin to stay up to date with the latest news on the Hazelwood campaign, and other climate related campaigns, information and events. Email us with subscribe in the subject line to stay in the loop.
3. You can write a letter to the editor, post on blogs and generally help spread that word online that closing Hazelwood is the key first action to tackling climate change that any government serious about the issue would take.
4. Make your contribution of $25 or more and help us convince our leaders to replace Hazelwood with smarter energy alternatives. Do it
MORE resources
Environment Victoria is currently commissioning a study looking at how Hazelwood could be replaced by 2012 with renewable energy, energy efficiency and some peaking natural gas as a transition fuel. This research will be released in late March 2010. It will explore the job and cost implications of making the switch, as well as the environmental benefits. Stay tuned.
A number of other studies have shown how Hazelwood’s electricity generation could be replaced by cleaner sources. For instance see Towards Victoria’s clean energy future