States aren’t in lock step on energy shocks and carbon emissions, but they’re more certain about progress than ever before.

Queensland will no longer be a “drag” on Australia’s energy and climate responsibilities, the state’s Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni told a business conference on Monday.

The most fossil fuel-dependent state, with some of the highest-emitting citizens in the world, now has an ambition to be among the lowest emitters, he told the AFR Energy and Climate Summit.

Queensland’s ambitious energy plan announced last month is aiming for 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032.

The “super grid” will include wind and solar farms, big batteries and the world’s largest pumped hydro project – and is slated to create 100,000 jobs if it can get the workforce to deliver the mega-projects.

Under the 10-year plan, a new dam will be constructed near Mackay to supply half of the state’s energy as “the battery of the north”, and a smaller one is planned west of Gympie.

Transmission training schools in Gladstone and Townsville for thousands of linespeople, hydrogen training centres, working with schools and boosting TAFEs are part of the plan.

Western Australia’s challenges are different to those of the eastern states, panel member WA Energy Minister Bill Johnston said.

An electricity “capacity crunch” is coming this Christmas, because of the unexpected closure of a gas plant and coal supply problems, he said.

But emissions from the WA electricity grid are less than a third of the state’s total, compared to 60 per cent for the east coast where coal power plants still dominate the power supply.

And WA gas is a mere $6 a gigajoule, Mr Johnston said.

“We’re all very jealous,” Victoria’s Minister for Energy, Environment, Climate Action and Solar Homes Lily D’Ambrosio said.

The global energy shock caused by the exit of Russian gas led to Victoria’s wholesale gas prices spiralling up to $800 a gigajoule, or 10 times usual levels, before regulators stepped in to cap prices in June.

But if heavy industries replace gas with solar, wind and green hydrogen, the load on the WA grid will increase.

For example, industrial giant Alcoa uses gas to make alumina and if they were to electrify that’s equivalent to 2 gigawatts of supply, which is an enormous swing in demand, he said.

There are also talks with private investments about an integrated electricity grid in the Pilbara.

“The scale in the north-west is just mind-boggling,” Mr Johnston said.

Ms D’Ambrosio said offshore wind will be a “game changer” for energy independence.

Victoria is aiming to build Australia’s first offshore wind farms and have at least 2GW of offshore wind – enough to power 1.5 million homes – online by 2032, 4GW by 2035 and 9GW for 2040.

But the workforce is a challenge for all states, as governments and business look for skilled workers to build and run new energy assets.

“We don’t support temporary immigration but we strongly support ongoing permanent migration,” Mr Johnston said.

“It adds to your skills base and builds your community at the same time,” he said.

– AAP