RENEWABLES FOR ALL

THE Marinus project is not a dud ( Letters, January 12). Modelling shows Marinus is profitable and a long term asset to the state. Marinus is needed to allow expansion of the hydro system to provide for pumped hydro, which uses wind farm excess power to pump water. The transmission lines do not impact visual acuity much at all, and thousands of properties and farmers successfully interact with transmission lines now. These are not new. There are lots of jobs cutting vegetation and lopping overhanging trees but I have not seen any roundup being sprayed.

Detractors think TasNetworks will profit from this infrastructure and they are correct. Thus, all Tasmanians profit from the returns on investment. The alternative is higher taxes on properties, or other ways of raising revenue, pretty much all of which are not supported by the community.

The argument that power lines kill tourism is nonsense. If you do not have the infrastructure you cannot have the jobs. People do not come as tourists to Tasmania to complain about the power lines.

Energy industries such as hydrogen will replace fossil fuels, but of course detractors wish to retain fossil fuels, stop wind farms ( spoils their view of the coast) and stop all development, but generate jobs.

Well, you can have it all ways with renewable energy, and at the same time have a very profitable energy industry, owned mostly by the good citizens of Tasmania, that benefits all. Now that is something to aim for.

Mervin C. Reed Tolmans Hill