MEDIA RELEASE 30th March 2011 Tassie's Energy Future

MEDIA RELEASE

30^th March 2011

COMMUNITY ASKS THE HARD ENERGY QUESTIONS

Whatever happened to Tasmania as a renewable energy island?

Why are we importing electricity from mainland Australia?

What: Public Meeting 'Renewable Energy and Electricity Imports'

Where: CWL Hall, Mathers Lane, off Bathurst St

When: Wednesday 30^th March 2011, 5.30pm

Local community group, Climate Action Hobart, will tonight hold a public meeting on questions of electricity imports and renewable energy opportunities in Tasmania. As electricity prices and also demand for electricity both continue to rise, the meeting will look at options for increasing Tasmanian production. Guest speakers include local columnist Peter Boyer, and engineers Phil Harrington and Todd Houstein.

“The Tasmanian community is feeling the pain of increasing electricity costs, and as a state we are becoming more and more reliant on electricity imports from the mainland. We believe there may be a way to tackle both problems,” Climate Action Hobart spokesperson Hannah Aulby said today.

“Tasmania has the resources and the expertise to be self-sufficient in electricity production, and this public meeting will look at what structural changes are needed in the electricity market to make this happen,” Ms Aulby said.

“The community deserves to know all the options. It is vital that these hard questions are asked, so that people can make balanced decisions when it comes to energy policy.”

The media is invited to attend this event on Wednesday 30^th March at 5.30pm at the CWL Hall, Mathers Lane, off Bathurst St. Photo opportunities and interviews are available.

More information: Hannah Aulby, Climate Action Hobart