The Australian Government (Department of Industry) has invited public submissions regarding its “vision for a gas-fired recovery from COVID-19”. 

Australian Parents for Climate Action do no support a gas-fired recovery (read why below!).

We strongly encourage our supporters to make a submission against a gas-fired recovery.

Submissions must be provided by Wednesday 31 March 2021. (This has been extended from the previous deadline of February 26 2021.)

How to make a submission:

Make a submission here: https://consult.industry.gov.au/energy/gas-fired-recovery-plan/, then click the “Make a Submission” link.

You will be asked your name, email, organisation (optional - please do not write you are from Australian Parents for Climate Action as we are making a seperate submission), state, industry sector (select private individual or whatever is relevant to you). You can then either upload a document, or make a general comment in a text box. Click continue, check the details and Submit.

Suggested content for your submission: 

MAKE IT PERSONAL: 

+ Introduce yourself — as a parent, where you live and anything else you want to mention.

STATE WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR: 

! Gas is a fossil fuel that needs to be phased out along with coal and oil.  Investing in gas will not create the sustainable future I want for my family.

+ I want the Australian government to invest in more renewable energy, not gas.

 MAKE IT FACTUAL: 

! Australia (and the world) needs to reach zero net greenhouse emissions as soon as possible - ideally by 2030 - to have any chance of maintaining a safe climate for our children. Increasing the supply of fossil fuels will increase emissions and should not be contemplated, much less supported using taxpayer funds.

! “Natural gas” is methane, a fossil fuel and greenhouse gas that is at least as bad as coal in terms of its impact on global heating when used for electricity generation, due to the combined impacts of its combustion (which releases carbon dioxide) and system-wide leaks and venting of methane (which is 86 times more harmful than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period.

! Gas is bad for our health when used in homes. Its consumption in poorly maintained or unflued appliances releases pollutants including deadly carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides, which can exacerbate respiratory conditions including childhood asthma.

! Gas is bad for the environment. Forests are cleared for access roads and well heads. Gas extraction processes can contaminate and deplete ground water, streams and soils. This is particularly true when it comes to the extraction of “unconventional gas” (coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas), which may involve fracking.

! Fracking is risky and irreversible. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of forcing huge quantities of sand-bearing water, loaded with chemicals, deep underground to create cracks that allow gas to flow and be extracted more easily.

! The environmental impact of gas is significantly understated due to industry measurement practices that are poorly overseen by government regulators.

! More gas won’t lower domestic gas prices. Australia is already the number one exporter of gas in the world and is awash with gas. However, Australians are paying more for their own gas than international prices for the gas we export due to ineffective regulation of domestic supply. Proposed new gas basins and wells would use unconventional gas extraction methods, which are more expensive than existing conventional wells such as Bass Strait.

! We don’t need more gas to compensate for the intermittency of renewable electricity. The Australian Energy Market Operator is satisfied that renewables can become a majority source of electricity generation without any new gas power plants. Renewable generation with storage is generally cheaper than gas or coal plants.

! Investment in the gas industry creates very few jobs. A green recovery from COVID-19 based on renewables, energy efficiency, green hydrogen and other measures to achieve net zero emissions will generate far more jobs and enormous co benefits compared with the risks and costs of more investment in fossil gas.

SAY WHAT YOU PROPOSE INSTEAD:

Numerous studies in Australia and other countries have demonstrated that a green recovery is the best way governments can stimulate the economic recovery from COVID-19. Hundreds of thousands of jobs can be created in Australia by incentivising projects such as:

+ Rolling out 100% renewable electricity and storage as quickly as possible by expanding Renewable Energy Zones and ensuring transmission and energy market regulation is appropriately aligned.

+ Putting solar and batteries into all schools and child care centres.

+ Improving energy efficiency in buildings including social housing.

+ Converting gas appliances in buildings to electric.

+ Kick starting the market and distribution mechanisms for green hydrogen (produced via electrolysis from renewable electricity) in order to rapidly drive its cost down so it is competitive with fossil gas.

+ Accelerating the uptake of electric and hydrogen vehicles (such as by reducing registration and other on-road costs).

+ Helping industrial users of gas pilot and rollout alternatives (either electric or green hydrogen based).

PROVIDE A LINK TO ONE OR MORE OF THESE REPORTS:

+ The Beyond Zero Emissions Million Jobs Plan (https://bze.org.au/research_release/million-jobs-plan/) 

+ The World Wildlife Fund / EY report: Securing Australia’s Future: Renewable Recovery From COVID-19 (https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/renewables/renewable-export-covid-19-recovery-package) 

+ This Guardian Australia series on the Green Recovery (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/the-green-recovery)

+ For a more global view, this Goldman Sachs report (https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/carbonomics-green-engine-of-economic-recovery-f/report.pdf) 

 + Scaling up Climate Action in Australia, a report from Climate Action Tracker, Nov 2020: “Australia can decarbonise its energy system by 2050 by scaling up climate action in its electricity supply and energy end use sectors, creating up to 76,000 additional jobs in the renewables sector alone.” https://climateanalytics.org/publications/2020/scaling-up-climate-action-in-australia/ 

 + The Beyond Zero Emissions Electrifying Industry plan – “Manufacturers can replace fossil fuels with renewable electricity and eliminate up to 8% of Australian emissions” https://bze.org.au/research_release/electrifying-industry/ 

 +  Decarbonisation Futures: Solutions, Actions and Benchmarks for a net zero emissions Australia, “ClimateWorks’ seminal report shows how technologies in each sector can achieve climate goals in Australia when rebuilding the economy to be resilient for the future” March 2020 https://www.climateworksaustralia.org/resource/decarbonisation-futures-solutions-actions-and-benchmarks-for-a-net-zero-emissions-australia/ 

Enter your email address here and we will send you our handy climate action checklist, which includes:

1. The Big Picture on Carbon

2. Goal: Personal Change

• Use less fossil fuels at home
• Cut your emissions from transport
• Move your money!
• Offset your carbon emissions
• Support climate justice
• Eat less meat
• Reduce food waste

3. Goal: Local Change

• Reduce your school or preschool’s carbon emissions
• Start more climate conversations
• Share your story
• Find your tribe
• Hit the streets
• Lobby your council
• Run for election, or support someone else to do so

4. Goal: Widespread Change

• Campaign for climate action at the Federal Election
  
• Help to Solar Our Schools
• Create your own petition
• Add your name to demand a national Climate Bill

5. Sources and Further Reading

Come on, let's make some noise!

Here is some expert tips on writing a punchy and personal letter to the editor:

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

• Grab a copy of your local paper or read it online to get a feel for the letters section – how many are printed, average length, types of topics covered, tone.

MAKE IT PUNCHY

• Be considered and critical where necessary, but avoid ranting. You are trying to convince people, not shut them out.
• Keep your letter short and succinct: 150-250 words is a good guide. Less is more.
  

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT SOLAR OUR SCHOOLS 

• Focus on the positives – Solar Our Schools is great for:
  • Jobs and post-COVID economy
  • Saving schools money in electricity bills
    
  • Schools being able to re-allocate money saved from power bills into more teachers or educational resources
  • Millions of tonnes per year carbon emission reduction
  • While some schools/states have made progress with respect to solar, Solar Our Schools calls for every school and early childhood centre to receive solar and batteries – renewable power for all, not just a few.
• You could mention that you have signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister to Solar Our Schools and you would like other people in your community to sign the open letter too.
• Or you could mention how you've made a Pre-Budget Submission to the federal government so they will (hopefully!) include Solar Our Schools in the next budget. You care what your taxes are spent on!

MAKE IT LOCAL

• Make it relevant to the readership – why should other locals care about the points you are making?
  • Do schools in your area desperately need solar?
  • Are classrooms too hot, and the best way to cool them would be air-conditioners powered by solar?
  • Is there something else about Solar Our Schools or AP4CA that you think would interest your local Member of Parliament?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

• Mention your perspective as a parent:
  
  • What kind of world would you like to see your children grow up in?
  • What do you worry about as a parent when it comes to climate change?
  • What does Solar Our Schools mean to you and your family personally?
• Sign your name rather than just your school/organisation. 

SUBMITTING YOUR LETTER

• The paper (or online version) will provide contact details – a general editorial email address, contact details for the editor or instructions on how to submit a ‘letter to the editor’.
• Be sure to follow any specific instructions about your letter (format/word length/content). 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 JANUARY 2021

AUSTRALIAN PARENTS for Climate Action has renewed calls for the Federal Government to prioritise funding for solar panels on every school and early childhood education centre in Australia, ahead of the deadline for public submissions for the next Federal Budget.

Follow our guide and make a submission to get Solar Our Schools in the next Federal Budget.

The Australian Treasury is now accepting public submissions to advise the make up of the next Federal Government budget in May. This is our chance to show how much support there is across Australia for Solar Our Schools. The more people who make a submission, the louder our message is.

You can make a submission in 3 easy steps.

1. Download our guide here.

2. Make your submission through the government's public online submission portal here.

3. Please notify us that you have made a submission - email [email protected]

 Pre-Budget Submissions close on 29 January 2021. 

Background: In September 2020 Australian Parents for Climate Action delivered the Solar Our Schools open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, signed by more than 11,000 Australian parents, asking him to fund fund solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia as part of the October COVID-19 recovery budget.

But PM Scott Morrison failed to respond to the 11,000 parents who signed the Solar Our Schools open letter; and the Federal Government failed to invest in renewable energy in the October COVID-19 recovery budget.

Australian Parents for Climate Action are now asking our supporters to formally submit to the Treasury to request funding for Solar Our Schools in the next federal budget.

Solar Our Schools is a shovel-ready initiative that will:

- Create at least 6,870 renewable energy jobs in all regions of Australia.

- Slash school energy bills which frees up more funds for learning resources and teaching wages, saving large schools $114,000 in energy bills per year and small schools $12,700 per year  (Beyond Zero Emissions).

- Save millions of tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

By combining solar and batteries, Solar Our Schools also allows schools and early childhood centres to act as Virtual Power Plants, giving communities access to a local, de-centralised power source; providing resilience in the face of climate emergencies like extreme weather events. These virtual power plants would also help to stabilise our whole electricity grid.

If every school and early learning centre in Australia got solar and batteries, the battery systems alone would store enough power to replace the power generation provided by the Liddell coal-powered electricity station in NSW.

Write to the Australian Capital Territory Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Yvette Berry MLA Minister for Education

GPO Box 1020, Canberra ACT 2601

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Australian Capital Territory Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

• Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
• Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
• Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

The ACT government is leading the country on 100% renewable energy for the territory, with all territory public schools equipped with solar panels. 

However many early childhood centres and small independent schools across the Australian Capital Territory do not have solar or batteries, and find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar. Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and independent schools allows them to generate solar for their operations.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and/or batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

• Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
• Support solar panels and batteries for Australian Capital Territory early childhood centres and independent schools
• Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

Northern Territory White Outline Map Australia from Vector.me

Write to the Northern Territory Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Lauren Moss MP Minister for Education

GPO Box 3146 Darwin NT 0801

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Northern Territory State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

• Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
• Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
• Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

In the past the Northern Territory Government has funded some state schools to get solar panels, however there are still many state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and very few with batteries. 

In addition, many early childhood centres and small independent schools across the Northern Territory do not have solar or batteries, and find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

• Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small syste
• Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
• Support solar panels and batteries for NT early childhood centres and independent schools
• Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

Northern Territory White Outline Map Australia from Vector.me

Write to the Western Australia Minister for Education and Training asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

And write to the Western Australia Shadow Minister for Education and Training asking her to make a pre-election promise to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

You can cut and paste the templates below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Sue Ellery MP, Minister for Education and Training

Level 13, Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street, 

WEST PERTH WA 6005

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to you to congratulate your government's recent pre-election announcement to fund a $44.6 million Schools Clean Energy Technology package, and further ask the Western Australian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

• Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
• Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
• Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

Western Australia has made good progress in installing solar and batteries on some state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and many more without batteries. Many Western Australian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

• Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small system
• Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
• Support solar panels and batteries for WA early childhood centres and independent schools
• Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------

You can cut and paste the templates below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to Shadow Minister Donna Faragher  through her contact form

Please also email our Volunteer Director [email protected] to let him know you have taken action!

Donna Faragher MLC, Shadow Minister for Education and Training

Ground Floor, 108 Swan St

GUILDFORD WA 6055

Dear Shadow Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to you to ask your party to make a pre-election commitment to work in partnership with the Federal Government to jointly fund Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

• Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
• Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
• Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

Western Australia has made good progress in installing solar and batteries on some state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and many more without batteries. Many Western Australian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

• Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small system
• Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
• Support solar panels and batteries for WA early childhood centres and independent schools
• Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

Western Australia Outline from Vector.me

Write to the Queensland Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Grace Grace MP Minister for Education

GPO Box 15033 CITY EAST QLD 4002

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Queensland State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

• Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
• Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
• Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

We are aware that the Queensland government has made a strong investment into solar panels for all state schools and we ask that you extend this investment into renewables for independent schools and early childhood centres. Installing solar panels across the rooftops of early childhood centres and independent schools would allow them to also generate solar for their operations.

And, coupling solar with batteries for all schools and early childhood centres would unlock their ability to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

Currently Queensland state schools are unable to participate as a VPP, so we request your support for schools to become VPPs.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would batteries be good for your school/preschool?

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

• Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
• Support solar panels and batteries for Queensland early childhood centres and independent schools
• Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

Queensland Outline Map Australia from Vector.me