NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall recently became the state government's "point man" for renewable energy and is planning to use the new found influence to put his region on the front foot.
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His role as Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy covers the whole state, but he's always on the looking out for local investment opportunities.
“My first duty is to represent my electorate and this position helps me do that,” Mr Marshall said.
“I'm very passionate about renewable energy because I can see the benefits for not only the Northern Tablelands, but other regional communities across the state.
“My role is broadly across the whole state, but if I can use my role to level opportunities for our region, then I will definitely do that.”
Mr Marshall has spent the past week in Sydney, meeting with ministers and department heads to "bone up" on all the projects across the state.
“My objective coming into this role is to make NSW the renewable capital of Australia,” he said.
“Regional Australia is perfect to solar and wind – and every country community welcomes the job creation and economic benefits that come from those investments.”
There is a lot of policy work the government can do, without spending any taxpayer funds, to make it easier for renewable energy to get a foothold
Mr Marshall pointed to the recently approved solar farm at the White Rock wind farm near Glen Innes.
“The government agreed to purchase all the power it produces, which is one of the things that got it over the line,” Mr Marshall said.
“It doesn't cost the government any extra, it's just sourcing its energy from a renewable source rather than a traditional coal source. Those projects wouldn’t occur without the certainty the power agreement provided.”
Mr Marshall said the solar farm would generate energy during the day, while the windmills would mostly be active during the night.