TURNBULL GOVERNMENT IN DENIAL ABOUT SNOWY 2.0

Senate Estimates have revealed the degree to which the Turnbull Government’s approach to energy is a chaotic shambles.

Despite the Government’s relentless attacks on renewable energy, Snowy 2.0 only stacks up alongside an ambitious renewable energy investment program, a point reiterated today by Snowy Hydro Chief Operating Officer Mr Roger Whitby.

When asked about the energy future that makes Snowy 2.0 viable, Mr Whitby described the clean energy transition Labor has been advocating for years, saying Snowy 2.0 stacks up in “a world where coal-fired generation is ageing and retiring and there’s increasing penetration of intermittent renewable generation.”

This is a vision that sits in stark contrast to that advocated by the Turnbull Government, which is all about suppressing renewable investment, and building new coal-fired power stations.

When asked whether the construction of new coal-fired power stations would put the viability of Snowy 2.0 in doubt, Mr Whitby said “simply put, yes”. Expanding on this in what could be interpreted as a warning to the Turnbull Government; Mr Whitby went on to say: “if we have a reversion to the past, then Snowy 2 is not viable”.

When asked about the over one month delay in releasing economic modelling that shows the benefits of Snowy 2.0 are highest in a scenario that has 60 per cent renewable energy by 2040, the Government yesterday claimed this report was delayed by Snowy Hydro themselves. Today, Mr Whitby confirmed it was Snowy’s shareholders (governments) that delayed this modelling release, saying “our shareholders wanted more time to consider the report”.

As much as Malcolm Turnbull would like to believe it isn’t the case, no amount of time can disguise the fact that Snowy 2.0 is a project that depends on strong growth in renewable energy to be viable.

This is the latest evidence that Malcolm Turnbull has no clear vision, let alone policy, when it comes to Australia’s energy future.

It is fundamentally inconsistent for the Prime Minister to support Snowy 2.0 at the same time as supporting the construction of new coal plants and planning to “decimate” renewable energy investment, as his National Energy Guarantee is projected to do by industry experts.

Only Labor has a consistent clean energy vision for Australia’s energy future. One that will support a large storage project like Snowy 2.0 as well as support reliable, affordable and clean energy.