Outback councils look to US oil state to advise on renewables success

Kennedy Energy Park near Hughenden has been operating for two years. (Supplied)

A group of local governments have paid for Texan energy lawyers to visit their region, advocating for renewable developments.

They say useful comparisons can be drawn between Texas's renewables boom and the economic potential for the industry in Queensland.

The Texan travellers will continue their tour of Queensland, meeting with stakeholders and state government officials.

A group of outback Queensland councils are looking to a US state synonymous with oil and gas as a model for renewable energy growth.

Three energy lawyers from Texas are touring Queensland, flown over by a coalition of regional councils and the state's local government association.

Rod Wetsel says his home state of Texas is decades ahead of Australia when it comes to renewables developments. (ABC North Queensland: Meghan Dansie)

Rod Wetsel is a wind lawyer and rancher from Sweetwater in Nolan County, Texas, the centre of the industry in a state that has led the United States in wind energy production for two decades.

He said there were lessons for local governments and landholders in western Queensland currently carving out deals with wind-energy companies.

"What we can help do is to help the Australians overcome some of the problems that we encountered because we didn't know they were coming," he said.

Developer Windlab signed a power purchase agreement with CleanCo for power supplied from the Kennedy Energy Park earlier this year. (ABC North Queensland: Meghan Dansie)

The Lone Star State is home to about 240 wind-related projects, with about 27,000 jobs connected to the industry.

Mr Wetsel said the wind-energy boom had presented waste-disposal and landholder negotiation challenges that Australians could learn from.

"How do you decommission the turbines when the wind farm becomes obsolete? How do you pay for that? You need to make sure that if the company goes bankrupt or leaves the country, that there's money available to clean that up," he said.

A community forum with the Texans was attended by federal MP Bob Katter and founders of transmission line company CopperString. (ABC North Queensland: Meghan Dansie)

"You have a lot more bargaining power than you think you have."

The Flinders Shire Council, Local Government Association of Queensland and Remote Area Planning and Development Board paid $30,000 for the Texans to visit Hughenden, Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane.

Flinders Shire Mayor Kate Peddle said she hoped it would raise awareness with landholders and state government officials ab