It could be achievable. However, Queensland’s opposition says it is being subsidised and could be costly.

In a formal reply to a parliamentary question on notice published this week, Energy Minister Anthony Lynham put the cat among the pigeons for doubters.

“At the end of 2017, renewable energy contributed 9 per cent of the electricity produced in the sunshine state; however, it is expected that the contribution will be as high as 21 per cent by 2019, which is clearly an unprecedented rate of growth,” Dr Lynham said.

“Under this government, Queensland has seen an unprecedented growth in renewable energy capacity and the next 12 months will see this capacity more than double — from a current 1030 megawatts to almost 2200 megawatts — as many renewable projects become connected to the grid,” he said.

“These projects in the pipeline will not only bring renewable energy, they will create 3600 jobs during construction and boost our state’s investment by around $4.3 billion.”

Six large-scale solar plants in Queensland have received funding from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Authority, or ARENA.

Last year ARENA tipped $51.4 million in federal taxpayer funds into six solar and hydro power plants at Dalby, Collinsville, Kidston, Oakey and Longreach, with a value of $637 million.

The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility in June announced it would also lend “up to $516 million” to the Genex solar and pumped hydro project in Kidston, north-west of Townsville.

Queensland taxpayers are also backing these projects with $300 million from the state government through its Solar 150 Program.

The private consortia in each project are however putting in the lion’s share of each project’s cost.

And further private sector funding is coming from a “reverse auction” for renewable energy sources and energy storage which is about to be held in Queensland.

Essentially 79 local and overseas businesses will soon “bid” via 115 project proposals to generate 400 megawatts of renewable energy capacity, including 100 megawatts of energy storage as part of Queensland’s electricity grid.

This reverse auction is called Queensland’s Renewables 400 Project, backed by a further $50 million from the Queensland government.

Dr Lynham believes its part of a suite of projects to help Queensland provide 50 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2030.

“The proposals are now in the process of being evaluated, and shortlisted projects will be invited to participate in the final stage of the Renewables 400 process,” he said.

However, Queensland’s opposition does not believe the state government funding is valuable seed funding.

Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart says the government is providing “long-term power offtake agreements” to those projects.

In other words, they are funding the demand for the projects to satisfy in the short-term, according to the LNP.

“It’s not really seed funding. It is basically guaranteeing them an income while they get the project off the ground,” Mr Hart said.

“It allows each of those entities to go to a finance provider with a long-term contract to sell their product,” he said.

“The government has ‘bought’ the power so to speak for the next 10 to 15 years and I tend to think it is through until 2030 when the whole (50 per cent by 2030) renewable energy target is completed.”

Mr Hart, who holds the Gold Coast seat of Burleigh, says the opposition firmly believed that all forms of power generation should exist without subsidies.

He said Energy Minister Anthony Lynham could expect plenty of questions from him about the extent of subsidies to Queensland’s renewable energy growth when they meet on Wednesday at a Queensland estimates debate.

In February 2018, Stanwell and CS Energy posted a massive $1.9 billion profit, which the government said provided a buffer for rising electricity prices, but the government also asked Stanwell to change its business practices.

Mr Hart said the ACCC last week questioned the Queensland government’s decision to restructure Stanwell and CS Energy and to set up a third generator, CleanCo to run renewable energy only.

“The ACCC said ‘renewable-only’ companies were not the way to go,” he said.

“It can’t be competing on an even basis with the other two generators and something is going to have to give.

“If the renewable energy one is not subsidised then it will fail,” he predicted.

“And if it is subsidised it will put a huge amount on the two fossil-fuel companies."