A 40-year vision that starts today
Tasmania: The Electric Island
Tasmania is in a prime position to lead — working towards an island economy primarily powered by renewable electricity. The Parliament has already unanimously adopted an energy security motion towards that end. Now is the time to set guidelines that will survive changes of government and gain community-wide support.
Sources & proof: Energy security motion unanimously adopted, House of Assembly — Hansard excerpt 15 April 2026 (moved by Peter George, MP for Franklin).
Energy Security · Economic Resilience · Community Prosperity · Global Leadership
Gordon Dam · Hydro Tasmania · Southwest National Park
Gordon Dam · alternate view
At a glance
Sourced numbers for Tasmania
Short claims from the Electric Island research pack — not campaign inventions.
%
~98% on-island generation renewable in 2023–24 (77.1% hydro, 18.5% wind, 2.2% solar; excl. Basslink). Exec Brief · OTTER EIT 2023–24
%
>50% state electricity consumption taken by a small number of major industrial customers. Exec Brief · OTTER EIT 2023–24
27.95¢
Residential Tariff 31 usage (c/kWh, GST-incl.) from 1 July 2026 — among the lowest regulated NEM rates. Energy Prices · OTTER standing offer
~3¢/km
EV energy cost vs ~10¢/km for ICE; about $1,600/year average fuel saving (national EVC assumptions). EV Affordability · RACT / EVC
%
~355 MW — Bell Bay Aluminium alone — roughly a quarter of state daytime demand (company / ABC reporting). Exec Brief · Industrial Load
Why Tasmania
An island built for energy sovereignty
Abundant renewables, a manageable scale, a defined island boundary and strong community networks give Tasmania world-leading potential to replace imported fossil fuels with locally generated electricity.
Abundant renewables
Hydro, wind and growing solar capacity already position Tasmania as a renewable energy powerhouse.
Manageable scale
A population size that makes a statewide electrification pathway practical, visible and achievable.
Defined island boundary
Clear edges for measuring fuel imports, energy independence and progress towards sovereignty.
Strong communities
Networks that can host demonstration projects, share learning and build lasting public support.
Global showcase
Tourism and place-branding potential as the world’s leading example of an electric island economy.
Tasmania’s renewables — wind and hydro on the ground
Woolnorth Wind Farm
Huxley Hill · King Island
Paloona Power Station
What’s in it for Tasmania?
This is not just electrification, climate action or energy policy. It is a practical pathway to prosperity and sovereignty — proudly Tasmanian, and a model for island communities worldwide.
- Energy sovereignty in the face of repeated global oil shocks
- Cut Tasmania’s transport carbon footprint over time
- Reduce reliance on imported fossil fuel costs for households, business and government
- Create a globally significant renewable energy test bed
- Attract research, innovation and investment
Vision to 2050
An energy-secure electric island economy
By 2050, Tasmania aims to be a leading example of an energy-secure, electric island economy powered by renewable energy — a long-horizon vision, not a claim of outcomes already delivered.
Local power, not imported fuel
2050 goal year. Homes, vehicles, farms, ferries, businesses and communities increasingly powered by energy generated locally rather than fuel imported from overseas.
A target that outlasts politics
All it will take is the collective will of the Parliament to rise above adversarial politics and set a solid agenda with a realistic goal for a fossil-fuel-free future — guidelines that survive changes of government, evolve as technology evolves, and gain community-wide support.
Liapootah turbines · Hydro Tasmania infrastructure
Roadmap
From research unit to Electric Island
Short-term outcomes people can see and celebrate — building momentum for a multi-decade transformation.
1 · First 12 months
Research unit & public launch
Establish a small, dedicated research unit and publicly launch the initiative — laying the evidence base for a long-term project.
- Infrastructure scan — Current technology in Tasmania, Australia and globally
- Global watch — Evolving technology and legislation
- Needs analysis — Implementation requirements for a 30-year project
- Barriers & assets — Impediments to electrification; stranded-asset risks
- Supply readiness — Availability of electricity supplies and infrastructure
2 · Year 2
Visible progress Tasmanians can follow
Build support in government, parliament and community with achievements people can see and celebrate.
- Fuel Dependence Clock — Public dashboard: fuel imports, vulnerability, transport electrification, dollars retained in Tasmania, progress towards energy independence.
- First Electric Community — Competition for communities to bid — solar, community batteries, EV infrastructure, emergency resilience, electrified council fleets.
3 · Subsequent years
Statewide demonstration & measurement
Flagship programs that make the Electric Island real in everyday life.
- Every School a Resilience Hub — Solar, battery, emergency backup, energy literacy
- Electric Bus Network — Every public bus powered by Tasmania’s renewable electricity
- Farms of the Future — Electrified equipment, solar irrigation, batteries
- Electric Island Demonstration — Ferry & visitor EV discounts, island-wide charging, global marketing
- Energy Sovereignty Index — Annual report on security, resilience and independence
Cape Grim · Tasmanian wind
Cost & safety calculator
Petrol or diesel vs an EV — for Tasmania
Estimate your current fuel and maintenance spend, compare it with charging and running an electric vehicle, and see a rough ownership total over a few years. Defaults use Tasmania and Australian figures from 2025–26 — edit anything to match your car.
EV SUV charging
White EV at charge bay
Home charging
Detail: Charging hardware is the everyday face of an Electric Island — use the calculator with Tasmania electricity defaults.
Calculator embed — Paste the full markup from snippets/calculator/embed.html into this Code module (or replace this note). Upload calculator.js to Media / theme assets if you prefer an external script. Defaults use Tasmania 2025–26 figures; money amounts format with a $ prefix.
See IMPORT.md step 6.
How to support
Philanthropy that builds the future
Governments build roads. Businesses build markets. Philanthropy can build the future — long-term, transformational, system-changing, generational.
Why philanthropic partnership matters
The opportunity is to create the institutions, leadership, research, partnerships and public support needed to sustain a transformation over multiple decades. This is exactly the kind of challenge philanthropy was created to address.
Financial, legislative and infrastructure incentives — and recognition of “Energy heroes” across individuals, families, municipalities and councils — can accelerate the transition while communities lead from the ground up.
Long-term · Multi-decade horizon
Transformational · System change
Generational · Legacy for Tasmania
Stay connected
Register your interest in the Electric Island vision — philanthropy, community leadership, research partnerships or updates.
Or email directly: [email protected]
Tasmania: The Electric Island
A 40-year vision for energy security, economic resilience, community prosperity and global leadership.
Ready to help build it?
Peter George, MP for Franklin
The Electric Island initiative · petergeorgeforfranklin.com
Photo credits — see media/photos/SOURCES.txt in this package. Gordon Dam (JJ Harrison / BennyG3255), Cape Grim & Woolnorth wind (Ian Cochrane / Andrew Baker), Huxley Hill (Mike Dobbie), Paloona (Barrylb), Liapootah (CSIRO), EV charging (Pexels / Unsplash).
© 2026 Peter George, MP for Franklin. Tasmania: The Electric Island. Australian English.