5 years ago
COALITION’S COAL CRUSADE CONTINUES
MARK BUTLER MP
Resources Minister Matt Canavan has once again flagged his Government’s plan to spend billions of taxpayers’ dollars on new, expensive, polluting coal-fired power stations.
The Liberals are so out of touch and obsessed with their new coal fantasy they are willing to drive power prices further up, deny our international climate obligations and freeze new renewable energy investment.
Industry, investors and the experts have all been clear; there is no appetite for investing in new coal-fired power stations.
The Clean Energy Council has rubbished Morrison’s coal plan as “clearly no longer technology-neutral and sharply contrasts with the rationale behind the ACCC's recommendation of supporting sustainable generation projects in order to improve competition", while Meridian Energy have stated the Morrison coal plan is putting "a hiatus on any form of investment."
While Snowy Hydro told Senate Estimates the construction of new coal-fired power stations would put the viability of Snowy 2.0 in doubt, “if we have a reversion to the past, then Snowy 2 is not viable.”
Yet Scott Morrison and the Liberals are willing to bastardise the ACCC recommendations and create backdoor loopholes to ensure they can spend billions of taxpayers’ dollars on expensive new coal.
Even though the Prime Minister has previously said, “new cheap coal is a bit of a myth” and “[HELE] takes seven years to turn up, so if we think that is all of a sudden going to make your power bills cheaper next month, it won't.”
All credible experts agree the pathway to affordable and reliable power is investing in more renewable energy, backed up by storage. That’s why a Shorten Labor Government is committed to investing in renewables to reach our 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.
The Liberals are so out of touch and obsessed with their new coal fantasy they are willing to drive power prices further up, deny our international climate obligations and freeze new renewable energy investment.
Industry, investors and the experts have all been clear; there is no appetite for investing in new coal-fired power stations.
The Clean Energy Council has rubbished Morrison’s coal plan as “clearly no longer technology-neutral and sharply contrasts with the rationale behind the ACCC's recommendation of supporting sustainable generation projects in order to improve competition", while Meridian Energy have stated the Morrison coal plan is putting "a hiatus on any form of investment."
While Snowy Hydro told Senate Estimates the construction of new coal-fired power stations would put the viability of Snowy 2.0 in doubt, “if we have a reversion to the past, then Snowy 2 is not viable.”
Yet Scott Morrison and the Liberals are willing to bastardise the ACCC recommendations and create backdoor loopholes to ensure they can spend billions of taxpayers’ dollars on expensive new coal.
Even though the Prime Minister has previously said, “new cheap coal is a bit of a myth” and “[HELE] takes seven years to turn up, so if we think that is all of a sudden going to make your power bills cheaper next month, it won't.”
All credible experts agree the pathway to affordable and reliable power is investing in more renewable energy, backed up by storage. That’s why a Shorten Labor Government is committed to investing in renewables to reach our 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.