Energy scientists from CSIRO are teaming up with the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) of local organisations in a bid to eliminate the region's net greenhouse emissions by 2020.

A major workshop, "Down with Emissions", opens today in Bendigo to explore projects that can demonstrate ways to cut energy costs, reduce emissions, and improve power generation and distribution.

Researchers from CSIRO's Energy Transformed flagship program will outline a range of technical and policy options for industry, government and the community to consider.

Energy Transformed director, Dr John Wright, says these will include:

• accelerated introduction of low emission technologies for power generation
• new generation transport
• cleaner, more economic fuels from both renewable and fossil fuels, and the two combined
• decentralized power generation.

"With a vigorous and concerted commitment by business, researchers and government working together over the next 20 years, we could see Central Vic taking the first steps to becoming a hydrogen economy, with hydrogen providing the principal source of energy both for electricity and for transport.

"The current challenge is to work out how we'll get there - for example, by converting our fossil fuels to hydrogen initially and, later, extracting hydrogen from water using renewables."

Dr Wright says Central Victoria is one of several regions in Australia where there is growing enthusiasm and support for clean, low-cost energy, especially from local government and industry.

"It is tremendously important that we scientists have places where we can test these new technologies in practice and measure our progress.

"It's also very encouraging that regional Australians are so keen to help pioneer these vital changes."

The Central Victoria Greenhouse Alliance consist of 9 local councils - Ballarat, Greater Bendigo, Buloke, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Gannawarra, Loddon, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander, together with the Bendigo Bank, Latrobe University, Loddon Campaspe Mallee Education Region, Department of Primary Industries, North Central Catchment Management Authority and St Lukes Anglicare.

The CVGA has adopted an ambitious greenhouse reduction target of zero net emissions for central Victoria by 2020.

Also taking part are the Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria and the Origin Energy Generation Team. The workshop will be held at La Trobe University's Iron Bark Centre, Bendigo, on February 5 and 6 2003.

It will explore ways to:

• Raise energy efficiencies 80% by co-generating heat and electricity locally
• Reduce emissions and energy costs from homes and businesses by 20%
• Develop transport systems that produce up to 70% less greenhouse gas
• Use hydrogen as a fuel for zero emission transport and power generation

The CVGA has gathered data on energy use for each municipality in the region and has identified opportunities for CSIRO involvement. These include industries that use large quantities of process heat, such as food processors and hospitals. These are key targets for co-generation installations, which would meet power and heating needs with a cost-effective, state of the art approach.

The CVGA has also identified fuel savings for local haulage operators as a key target. New developments in compressed natural gas fuel and business modelling for distribution networks could be used to demonstrate this project.

More information:

Dr John Wright, Energy Transformed, 0408 480 724

Terry White, Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance , 03 5461 5001