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Iconic Aust'n tram network to be solar powered by 2018

Xinhua, January 20, 2017 Adjust font size:

Melbourne's iconic fleet of trams could soon be solar powered under a proposal put forward by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

The proposal is part of a plan to reduce Victoria's net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 with solar power plants which will supply 75 megawatts (MW) of power to be operational in the state by 2018.

Lily D'Ambrosio, Victoria's environment and energy minister, said 35 MW of the generating power of the new plants would be dedicated to running Melbourne's tram network, reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80,000 tons a year.

"We will use our purchasing power as a large energy consumer to boost investment in renewables and create new jobs for Victorians," D'Ambrosio told the Guardian in comments published on Friday.

"The world is moving to clean energy, we made a commitment as a Government, we continue to uphold that commitment to grow renewable energy.

"We're positioning Victoria as a leader in climate change, by reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts."

She said the proposal would deliver more than 100 million U.S. dollars in capital expenditure to regional Victoria and create 300 jobs.

Melbourne's tram network carries more than 200 million passengers every year, making it a vital cog in the city's functionality.

Mark Wakefield, the CEO of Environment Victoria, welcomed the move, saying there was a symbolic power in having the tram network, one of the city's most recognizable features, powered by renewable energy.

"I would love to see the train network also powered by renewable energy," he said.

The announcement comes in the wake of a series of environmentally-friendly announcement by the Andrews government.

In November it was announced that the Hazelwood coal-fired power station, one of the dirties in Australia, would be shut down. Endit