Hunter Valley residents are spearheading a national movement demanding government investment in clean energy-powered manufacturing, according to recent polling data that reveals overwhelming community support for renewable energy initiatives.
Strong Community Backing for Renewable Transition
A comprehensive survey of 4,711 Australians, including 1,952 residents living in designated renewable energy zones across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, demonstrates robust public endorsement for government action to help manufacturers access affordable renewable power.
The polling, commissioned by Renew Australia for All and conducted by research firm 89 Degrees East, found that 71% of Australians nationwide and 68% of those in renewable energy zones support federal investment in helping manufacturing facilities transition to cheaper renewable energy sources.
Support reached its highest level in the Hunter region, where 72% of respondents expressed approval for government intervention to secure affordable clean energy for local manufacturers.
Economic Vision: Renewable Exports Over Fossil Fuels
The survey reveals a significant shift in economic priorities among Hunter residents, with 65% of those polled believing Australia's economy would strengthen with greater focus on scaling up renewable-powered exports.
These exports would include critical minerals and green metals manufactured using clean energy sources. In contrast, only 35% of respondents thought the economy would benefit from continuing to focus on coal and gas exports rather than developing new renewable-powered export industries.
Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the polling results send a clear message to governments at all levels. "Our energy system is ageing - with traditional power assets closing, causing supply challenges and pushing up prices," Mr Shears stated.
"If we want to maintain and grow manufacturing, including keeping industrial capacity and jobs like those at Tomago Aluminium, we need more renewable energy in the system to bring prices down. Time is of the essence - let's get it done."
Regional Support Defies Conventional Wisdom
Hunter Jobs Alliance coordinator Justin Page challenged the notion that regional Australians resist the transition to renewable energy. "It's often suggested that people in the regions don't support the shift to renewable energy. This is dead wrong," Mr Page asserted.
"People understand that securing our manufacturing jobs and protecting key assets like Tomago depends on having the cheapest possible electricity. The fastest way to achieve that is to modernise our energy system with renewables."
The federal government is currently evaluating a proposal to enter into a power-purchase agreement with Snowy Hydro that would ensure Tomago Aluminium can obtain a financially sustainable electricity supply.
The proposed mechanism, known as a scheme financial vehicle (SFV), would enable the government to contract for clean energy directly using power purchase agreements and then resell it at stable prices to the smelter.
Former Clean Energy Finance Corporation chief executive Oliver Yates recently explained that SFVs could provide lower-cost finance and coordinate construction of the wind, solar and battery storage infrastructure required to power energy-intensive industries like aluminium smelting.
"The government effectively writes the long-term contracts for renewable energy and storage, that enables those projects to be built more easily and the cost of finance of those projects is lower, so they can offer a lower charge to the government, which can then be passed on to Tomago," Mr Yates detailed.
The urgency of finding a solution is underscored by the approaching expiration of Tomago Aluminium's current coal-fired power contract with AGL at the end of 2028. Based on current market proposals, energy costs from January 2029 are projected to increase significantly under both coal-fired and renewable options, potentially rendering the smelter economically unviable without intervention.
