Darwin Not Adopting Solar Power Quickly Enough

As reported by ABC News, Australian states are asking why Darwin, Australia’s most tropical state with sunshine all year round, has not embraced solar power to help locals reduce their power bills.

ABC News interviewed a former NT resident who now lives in QLD. She said her bills are much cheaper in QLD compared to when she was living in the NT. She also said that Darwin is dying and it needs an influx of people to go forward, but it will not happen if the power prices are as high as they currently are.

NT residents are paying some of the highest electricity bills in Australia, second to Tasmania, according to the Australian Energy Council’s report.

The Northern Territory is taking steps to push solar into the elextricity mix:

• 90% of energy is from traditional gas, but solar is slowly making its way into public institutions.
• The City of Darwin Council has also installed solar panels in the Casuarina library, Casuarina pool, Nightcliff pool and café, and at their Berrimah operations center.
• Darwin’s military museum has also chosen to install $270,000 solar power system due to its high power bills.

So why does Darwin still have higher electricity prices?

Click here to read the full story on ABC News