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Queensland election 2015: Greens pledge $170 million for solar energy

The Greens have launched their Queensland election campaign in Brisbane by promising millions to encourage households in the Sunshine State to start using solar energy.

Greens Leader Christine Milne announced the three-point strategy in Brisbane's West End, saying it removed barriers to installing solar for the people who most needed lower power bills.

An elected Greens Party would spend $100 million on research into solar power generation, storage and transmission, which Senator Milne said would lead to even more sustainable jobs in renewable energy.

Another $30 million would go towards low-interest loans for household installation.

And, $40 million would provide solar for social housing, low-income households and charities.

"Queensland is the Sunshine State, the Greens want more solar at the residential, commercial and utility scale – it's good for people and the climate," she said.

"We want to make sure Queenslanders control their power bills, not the big energy companies."

Solar energy has been a contentious issue in Queensland after the former Bligh Labor government locked thousands into a generous scheme.

Those who installed solar under Labor received 44 cents per kilowatt hour, which was estimated to cost Queensland about $1.8 billion by 2028.

Although those contracts are locked in, when the Liberal National Party won power in 2012, it slashed the feed-in rate for new customers to eight cents per kilowatt hour.

Mood for change in Queensland: Milne

The Greens, who poll strongest in the state's south-east, are yet to score a seat in Queensland's 89-seat Parliament.

Senator Milne said if the public wanted change they needed to vote one Greens, as Labor had similar mining policies that in fact hurt the environment.

"Labor in Queensland still want a massive expansions of coal and coal seam gas, which is a threat to the reef," she said.

"Queenslanders want a world-class public transport system, they want money put into education, innovation.

"I think there is a real mood in Queensland for change."