Petition backs solar thermal power in SA

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has been presented with an unusual photo petition calling on the government to back the construction of solar thermal power plants in Port Augusta.

A group led by Repower Port Augusta - an alliance of community, council and business groups in the region - handed the petition to Mr Weatherill on Wednesday.

It bears the faces of 175 people who support the construction of solar thermal plants in the mid-north town as a replacement for the two coal-fired power plants that were recently closed down.

Repower Port Augusta spokesman Dan Spencer said Premier Jay Weatherill told the group the government was considering the idea along with others.

Mr Weatherill recently said his government wanted to get SA as close as it could to using 100 per cent renewable energy.

"It was good to hear him say that they are looking at making some decisions," Mr Spencer said.

"Now what we want to see is if the state government can make a commitment."

Mr Spencer said the group thought a petition using people's faces would send a more personal message, and be a unique step in their long-running campaign.

He said many Port Augusta locals were looking for their next job opportunity, but the full impact of the coal power plant closures was yet to be felt.

"A lot of people are out looking for work and people got good redundancy payments is my understanding, so we're still waiting to see the full impact of that closure," he said.