澳大利亚昆士兰州丹特里雨林约700名居民的能源危机加剧。[1]工党政府在2024年撤销了对一项微电网项目的1875万澳元资金支持，该项目原定于2022年由联邦政府承诺推进。[1]这一决定打击了当地企业主、老年居民和东库库亚拉吉原住民群体的可再生能源前景。[1]
缺乏可靠电力供应迫使居民采取昂贵的替代方案。[1]部分居民依赖柴油发电机供电，农场主劳伦斯·梅森每周燃烧约700升柴油，在今年早些时候燃料价格曾超过每升3澳元。[1]另有居民尝试安装太阳能系统，但成本高达约30万澳元，仅能满足三分之一的业务需求。[1]
原定的微电网项目规模庞大，包括8兆瓦太阳能农场、20兆瓦时电池储存系统和1兆瓦氢气工厂。[1]能源部长克里斯·鲍文表示项目未能满足合同规定的要求，因此资金被终止。[1]而项目开发公司沃尔特顾问集团则指出，2023年12月的茉莉飓风造成了前所未有的破坏，阻碍了重型施工机械进场。[1]
这一地区正面临人口流失的风险。[1]自1983年起居住在该地区的71岁居民克里斯·赖因克表示，随着年龄增长，他越来越难以继续留在雨林。[1]当地居民呼吁政府重新考虑为该地区投资可再生能源基础设施。[1]
Approximately 700 residents of the Daintree Rainforest region in Queensland, Australia, now face an uncertain energy future after the Labor federal government withdrew funding support for a proposed microgrid project in 2024.[1] The initiative, which had received a federal commitment of AUD $18.75 million in 2022, was designed to include an 8-megawatt solar farm, a 20-megawatt-hour battery storage system, and a 1-megawatt hydrogen facility.[1]
Many residents currently depend on diesel generators for electricity, a costly and unsustainable solution.[1] Lawrence Mason, a local operator, burns approximately 700 liters of diesel fuel weekly, with fuel prices exceeding AUD $3 per liter earlier this year.[1] Solar installation alone is prohibitively expensive, costing around AUD $300,000 for systems that meet only about one-third of operational requirements.[1] Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated the project failed to meet contractual requirements, justifying the funding termination.[1] However, project developer Walter Consultants Group cited unprecedented damage from Cyclone Jasmine in December 2023 as the obstacle preventing heavy construction machinery from entering the site.[1]
The decision has particularly affected long-term residents and local business owners, including the Kuku Yalanji Indigenous people, who co-manage Daintree National Park following its formal handover in 2021.[1] Chris Reinke, a 71-year-old resident since 1983, expressed concern that advancing age makes it increasingly difficult to continue living in the rainforest without reliable energy infrastructure.[1] Tamara Skinner's family relocated from Sydney to the Daintree in 2021 but now faces uncertainty about their energy needs and long-term viability in the region.[1]