Victorian Premier announces detail of energy strategy at Clean Energy Council conference

The Premier revealed the details of the SEC's Strategic Plan 2023 - 2035 on stage at the Careers for Net Zero Fair, hosted by the Clean Energy Council, in Melbourne this morning.The announcement spans support for 4.5 GW of clean energy development, funding for domestic electrification, as well as support for developing long-duration storage projects.Under the new scheme, Victorian manufacturers, schools, and hospitals will be able to buy energy directly from the SEC, which will sell both retail and wholesale electricity.Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said while governments can play a critical role in markets as regulators and as participants, they needed to ensure that they strike the right balance."The detail announced by the Premier today is a welcome step forward and we look forward to partnering with the government on developing the remaining detail," Mr Thornton said."The industry has capital that is ready to be deployed, and we welcome the government's acknowledgement of the importance of partnerships and the role in leveraging enormous private sector investment."We look forward to working closely to ensure the implementation of the important principle."We know that those poised to make significant investments are very keen to learn the remaining detail from Victoria, and all Australian Governments to inform their decision-making."He also said that support for long-duration storage projects was an area where governments in particular, could play a key role in future."It is vital that when governments make market interventions, that all consequences are taken into consideration," Mr Thornton said."What unites this industry is that we want to see sustainable investment from governments across Australia in a way that supports our long-duration success in reaching our renewable energy targets and delivering low-cost, clean energy for homes and businesses."