A Sunny Future For Victoria ?  

The ABC reports that Victorian Premier John Brumby says up to six solar energy plants could be built across Victoria.

A solar plant will be built in north-west Victoria, but Mr Brumby, who is in Bendigo today, says the region is well placed to have more. He says the solar energy plants he has seen overseas have been simple technology and visually unobtrusive.

Mr Brumby says solar energy is the key to meeting renewable energy targets. "We are impeccably well placed in the north of the state, across the north, across the great divide for more solar facilities," he said. "There are of course both manufacturing facilities and of course the ongoing maintenance opportunities in a job sense."

While work is under way on the development of a 154-megawatt solar power station in the state's north-west, Mr Brumby said he could "foresee another three or four plants of that potential size and scale over the next decade".

The $420 million solar plant near Mildura, a partnership between TRUenergy and Melbourne-based company Solar Systems, is expected to provide enough green power for 45,000 homes by the time work is completed in 2013.

Mr Brumby said Victoria had excellent prospects for solar power, particularly in the north and north-west, and large industrial users in the western suburbs could benefit from the technology.

"I really want to push this through, and we're seeing just great opportunities," he said, adding that he would like work to begin on another solar plant in Victoria within two years.

Last month's state budget included a $72 million fund for large-scale, renewable energy projects. The Premier also told The Age he was considering a mandatory solar energy component within the state's renewable energy target, possibly at a quarter of the overall 10% target to be achieved by 2016.

"If we set the 2.5% target, that will lead to a very high degree of interest (from companies) … you'll see a rush of activity," he said.

Mr Brumby made the comments as he and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh toured solar facilities in the US state of Nevada, which has a renewable energy target of 20% by 2015, of which 5% must be solar.

They visited a new Las Vegas factory for Ausra — the solar thermal technology company founded by former Sydney University professor Dr David Mills — and a 75-megawatt solar thermal plant in Boulder City.

After taking part in a solar thermal business forum — in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation's climate initiative — the two premiers jointly announced a $680,000 project to develop a solar atlas for Victoria and Queensland that would help companies identify the best locations for solar investment.