VERBALLING AEMO IS NOT AN ENERGY POLICY

 

The Turnbull Government’s chaos and dysfunction on energy policy continues, as the Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg once again verbals Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) advice.

 

On ABC’s Insiders today, Minister Frydenberg once again claimed AEMO have warned “there would be a greater likelihood of blackouts if Liddell was to close in 2022”.

 

This is just the latest attempt to distract the public from the Government’s energy policy failure, while appeasing the Abbott-Joyce right wing coal fetish.

 

Had the Minister chosen to accurately reflect AEMO advice, he would have noted AEMO clearly stated that with the full Liddell replacement plan of owners AGL implemented, no reliability gap will exist. 

 

If Minister Frydenberg was interested in treating the Australian people as adults, he would also note:

AEMO never even considered the possibility of Liddell not closing in 2022, let alone recommended an extension of its operating life,

 

AEMO repeatedly warn about the reliability risks of ageing coal fired power stations like Liddell, as well as reliability risks linked to the impacts of climate change, and

 

AEMO stress the best thing the Government could do to ensure reliable, affordable and low pollution energy is implement a national energy policy consistent with meeting our Paris obligations that removes investor uncertainty.

 

Instead of taking AEMO advice, the Turnbull Government are verballing it and further adding to, rather than reducing investment uncertainty.

 

Whether its berating companies against investing in renewable and storage capacity to replace Liddell, arguing over building coal power stations with taxpayer money, or undermining their own National Energy Guarantee by arguing it won’t provide the certainty needed for private investors to ensure reliability, this Government remains an incoherent shambles when it comes to energy policy.

 

As long as the Liberal party cannot accept the reality of climate change and the fact our energy system needs to transition to clean energy now, this Government will fuel rather than solve our energy crisis.

 

Only Labor will deliver the stable, credible and modern energy system we desperately need.