A coalition of regional leaders, industry pioneers, and a visiting delegation from West Texas has united in Townsville to urge the State and Federal governments to accelerate the construction of the CopperString transmission line.

The group of experts from Sweetwater, Texas – a region dubbed ‘wind capital of the world’ – highlighted a stark infrastructure timeline disparity.

CopperString founder and VisIR chief executive officer Joseph O’Brien said Texas started developing its competitive renewable energy zone transmission lines in 2007 at the same time as the CopperString proposal was emerging.

“In 14 years, they went from concept to having constructed 6500km of high-voltage transmission line to the west of their state,” he said. “18 years later, we are on the cusp of seeing CopperString delivered. It’s 900km, not 6500.”

Flinders Shire Mayor Kate Peddle said local wind farms were unable to maximise their benefits until transmission was secure.

“None of the new projects in Flinders or the North West Minerals Province will go ahead without CopperString,” she said

Rod Wetsel, an attorney and law professor from Sweetwater, Texas, shared how their community scaled from zero wind turbines to over 2000 in a matter of years, creating wealth for local communities.

“The out-west areas where we live, the rural community is very welcoming and that they can continue their same way of life,” Mr Wetsel said.

“They can still ranch, farm, have recreation, and also have the wind and solar, which by the way, doesn’t take the place of any other form of energy. It’s just a supplemental source of energy that helps everybody’s lifestyle in the end.”

Mr Wetsel’s message to Australian policymakers was ‘just get on with it’.

Echoing the push for immediate progress, Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto called for an immediate 50-50 funding commitment from the Federal Government to construct CopperString for what he described as vital nation-building infrastructure.

MITEZ chief executive officer Maria James said the single biggest cost in any mining and manufacturing was energy.

“So, we talk about sovereign manufacturing… we talk about producing fertiliser. Energy is the biggest cost,” she said.

“What our friends from Texas have shown us is that you can see it, you can be it. They’ve proven it. It works.