"As well as 80 percent of Australia's geothermal investment, South Australia has enormous wind and solar resources, which are going to become increasingly important components of our energy mix as we move into a more carbon-constrained future," he said.
"With an emissions trading scheme up and running by 2011, and likely revisions to the mandatory renewable energy target, we are going to see increasing government support for renewables, particularly for solar and geothermal development."
Kallis added the Clean Energy Council estimated there would be $20 billion in investment and 50,000 jobs created in the renewables sector in the run up to 2020.
He also noted that a report by McLennan Magasanik Associates had projected that the costs of geothermal technology would steadily fall over the next 30 years - eventually making it the lowest-cost renewable energy source in Australia.
Kallis said that geothermal projects powered by the South Australian Heat Flow Anomaly offered opportunities to provide baseload power to the National Grid, as well as large-scale mining operations.
Petratherm is considering two long-term transmission options for its Paralana Project, which is being developed in conjunction Beach Petroleum, a double circuit transmission line from Paralana to Port Augusta, capable of delivering 520MW to the National Grid, or a single circuit line to Port Augusta and a second to Olympic Dam - each capable of delivering 260MW.
"The latter arrangement could create a ‘meshed' transmission network in the north of the state and provide a backbone of electricity infrastructure for remote communities as well as the growing resources sector," Kallis said.
The three-day Beyond Carbon conference was organised by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and the Local Government Association, to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to a carbon-constrained economy - and to link "clean technology" companies with government services, private investors, and each other.
Following on from the conference will be the launch of the Adelaide Cleantech Network (ACT), a South Australian-sponsored networking organisation that will link stakeholders and service providers involved in the development and provision of clean technology services and innovations.
