Queensland could develop its own solar thermal industry which could drastically reduce the state's reliance on coal-generated electricity.
Premier Anna Bligh toured solar energy facilities in Nevada in the United States today and was bullish about the prospects of similar developments in Queensland.
She announced a strategic partnership with the William J Clinton Foundation to explore the potential of establishing a solar thermal park in Queensland.
US experts will come to Queensland in the next two months to test conditions in Queensland.
"As part of this partnership we will identify and assess the economic opportunity in Queensland for a commercial scale solar thermal park similar to the one we inspected in Nevada today," Ms Bligh said.
Built in 2007 at a cost of more than US$260 million, the Accionas Nevada Solar One Plant is the first "concentrating" solar power plant built in the United States in more than 17 years.
Its solar fields spread over an area of 1.2km2.
The Clinton Foundation will send its own experts to Queensland over the next two months to encourage US companies to invest in the Queensland scheme.
"If we do proceed with our own solar thermal park the aim would be to ultimately generate electricity and send this to the grid," Ms Bligh said.
"The Clinton Foundation is sending experts from the United States to work with the Department of Mines and Energy in preparing a pre-feasibility study over the next two months.
"It will also look to play a facilitation role in encouraging US companies to invest in the park."
Queensland is already looking at solar thermal projects funded under the $50 million Queensland Renewable Energy Fund, including the 10 megawatt Cloncurry Solar Thermal Pilot Project.
"We also have the Townsville Solar Cities Project focusing on solar PVs (solar photovoltaics) and introduced a feed-in tariff for solar top roof installations," Ms Bligh said.
Solar thermal electricity (or concentrated solar power) is a different technology to solar photovoltaics (PVs). In a solar photovoltaic system, sunshine is converted into electricity, whereas solar thermal electricity converts sunshine to heat.
This heat is then transferred to a fluid, which drives a turbine to generate electricity.
"One of the advantages of solar thermal electricity is that the heat energy can be stored, potentially allowing electricity to be generated when the sun goes down," Ms Bligh said.
The news is timely, with renewable energy protesters outside the Queensland Coal 08 conference demanding the Queensland Premier return from the United States with firm plans to advance solar energy usage in the Sunshine State
Spokesperson Kristy Walters said she was pleased Ms Bligh was visiting a solar energy plant in the United States, claiming the coal industry was fuelling climate change.
"I would like to see some action plans from Anna Bligh and see them rolled out in the next year at least," Mr Walters said.
"I think it is great that she is going over to research these things, but I would really like to see something become of that and a scaling back of the coal industry."
This morning Ms Bligh and John Brumby also announced $680,000 would be spent allowing six Australians to study solar thermal technology and develop an Australian "solar atlas."
Ms Bligh and Mr Brumby made the announcement at the Solar Thermal Business Forum in Nevada – organised by the WJ Clinton Foundation Climate Change Initiative.
Ms Bligh said the governments would contribute a total of $680,000 to establish the fellowships and create a "solar atlas" to identify the best locations for solar energy generation in Australia.
