The Greens are pushing for a new public authority to take
responsibility for Australia's beleaguered electricity system out of
politicians' hands.
It follows several organisations, including energy company Origin, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and ClimateWorks, calling for an independent body, similar to the Reserve Bank, to manage what has been described as an energy crisis.
It follows several organisations, including energy company Origin, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and ClimateWorks, calling for an independent body, similar to the Reserve Bank, to manage what has been described as an energy crisis.
Turnbull and Abbott disagree
The former PM's suggestion to keep the Hazelwood power station open until the new Snowy Hydro scheme is able to generate power has been rejected by the PM. Courtesy ABC
Focus on the future of the electricity system has heightened in the lead-up to the closure this week of Hazelwood, Australia's oldest and most emissions-intensive power plant, which when fully operational had the capacity to deliver about a quarter of Victoria's electricity.
The Greens will introduce legislation in the Senate to create what it calls Renew Australia, which it says can short-circuit a stand-off between the federal and state governments by taking responsibility for the transition to a clean electricity supply.
Greens climate and energy spokesman Adam Bandt said the ongoing retirement of coal-fired power stations – Hazelwood is the 10th to shut in eight years – and the falling costs of solar power generation and battery storage meant something needed to be done to encourage investment in new power plants.
"Government shouldn't be scrambling around at the last minute debating whether to keep plants open," he said. "Let's learn from Hazelwood so that, by the time the next power station closes, we've got secure jobs and industries for workers to move into and plenty of renewables and storage in the pipeline to take its place."
Energy companies, business groups, unions, charities, scientists and environmentalists have called for a bipartisan national plan, including an emissions intensity scheme, to drive a smooth change as greenhouse gas emissions are cut.
The Snowy Hydro Scheme, owned by the NSW, Victorian and federal governments, is the latest to back this sort of scheme. The federal government has rejected this sort of scheme.
Not all the above groups would endorse the Greens' model, which
requires that at least 90 per cent of energy is renewable by 2030,
expands the national renewable energy target and introduces a emissions
intensity standard that sets out a timetable for the closure of
coal-fired power plants.
The authority would cost $500 million and would be expected to leverage $5 billion of energy construction in four years. The Greens also want to create a $250 million clean energy transition fund to help coal communities as plants close and change electricity market rules to make it encourage large-scale battery storage.
Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the government's
priority was maintaining affordable and reliable electricity as
Australia moved to a lower emissions future.
"Another big bureaucracy isn't going to keep power prices low or help keep the lights on, all it will do is add more red-tape and drive up power prices," he said.
Labor climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler declined to comment before seeing the legislation.
Other organisations have put forward proposals that differ from the Greens' model.
In a submission to an energy security review by chief scientist Alan
Finkel, ClimateWorks – a research body affiliated with Monash University
– called for an independent statutory body to take over regulatory
responsibilities from the COAG Energy Council, which is made up of
federal and state energy ministers.
Origin backed the creation of a body similar to the Reserve Bank to manage the shift to lower emissions.
The ACTU called for the introduction of an Energy Transition Authority. Its responsibilities would include managing a planned closure of coal plants and an industry-wide scheme that allowed retrenched coal workers to get jobs at other power stations.
This model has been used at Hazelwood, where some workers will transfer to other Latrobe Valley generators.
Links
The former PM's suggestion to keep the Hazelwood power station open until the new Snowy Hydro scheme is able to generate power has been rejected by the PM. Courtesy ABC
Focus on the future of the electricity system has heightened in the lead-up to the closure this week of Hazelwood, Australia's oldest and most emissions-intensive power plant, which when fully operational had the capacity to deliver about a quarter of Victoria's electricity.
The Greens will introduce legislation in the Senate to create what it calls Renew Australia, which it says can short-circuit a stand-off between the federal and state governments by taking responsibility for the transition to a clean electricity supply.
Greens climate and energy spokesman Adam Bandt said the ongoing retirement of coal-fired power stations – Hazelwood is the 10th to shut in eight years – and the falling costs of solar power generation and battery storage meant something needed to be done to encourage investment in new power plants.
"Government shouldn't be scrambling around at the last minute debating whether to keep plants open," he said. "Let's learn from Hazelwood so that, by the time the next power station closes, we've got secure jobs and industries for workers to move into and plenty of renewables and storage in the pipeline to take its place."
Energy companies, business groups, unions, charities, scientists and environmentalists have called for a bipartisan national plan, including an emissions intensity scheme, to drive a smooth change as greenhouse gas emissions are cut.
The Snowy Hydro Scheme, owned by the NSW, Victorian and federal governments, is the latest to back this sort of scheme. The federal government has rejected this sort of scheme.
 |
| The cost of solar power generation has come down rapidly. Photo: Rolfo Brenner/EyeEm |
The authority would cost $500 million and would be expected to leverage $5 billion of energy construction in four years. The Greens also want to create a $250 million clean energy transition fund to help coal communities as plants close and change electricity market rules to make it encourage large-scale battery storage.
 |
| Adam Bandt brandishes a solar panel during question time earlier this year. Photo: Andrew Meares |
"Another big bureaucracy isn't going to keep power prices low or help keep the lights on, all it will do is add more red-tape and drive up power prices," he said.
 |
| The Hazelwood coal plant will shut this week. Photo: Jesse Marlow |
Other organisations have put forward proposals that differ from the Greens' model.
 |
| The future? Tesla's Powerwall is just one of several batteries on the market. Photo: Pat Scala |
Origin backed the creation of a body similar to the Reserve Bank to manage the shift to lower emissions.
The ACTU called for the introduction of an Energy Transition Authority. Its responsibilities would include managing a planned closure of coal plants and an industry-wide scheme that allowed retrenched coal workers to get jobs at other power stations.
This model has been used at Hazelwood, where some workers will transfer to other Latrobe Valley generators.
Links
- Turnbull rejects Abbott call for subsidy to keep Hazelwood open
- Energetic political row - but will there be light as well as heat?
- Hazelwood is only the beginning of the end for coal power
- Capitulation on climate ignores evidence and will come at a cost
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