Tasmania is a renewable energy powerhouse, but the state government is taking Tasmania backwards.

It recently gave a grant of $50,000 of taxpayers' money to a Western Australian company to explore for coal deposits in Tasmania's Southern Midlands.

Australia Institute research shows this project does not stack up economically or environmentally:

Any new coal mine would consume huge amounts of water , up to 750 million litres per year.

, up to 750 million litres per year. Can't compete on cost - It will be difficult for this mine to compete without further and larger taxpayer-funded subsidies.

It will be difficult for this mine to compete without further and larger taxpayer-funded subsidies. Pollution - Burning coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, fueling heatwaves and other extreme weather events.

The Palawa people of lutruwita, who have cared for this island for thousands of generations, have been making calls for protection of country for a long time.

This is the wrong project in the wrong place at the wrong time, will you add your name to our open letter?