Today’s announcement that Origin Energy will extend the life of Australia’s largest coal fired power station for another two years shows that Chris Bowen’s 82% renewable target by 2030 is impossible to meet.
The Eraring Power Station was originally planned to close in 2025; it was then extended to 2027 and now will continue to operate to 2029.
With Eraring providing 25% of NSW’s electricity needs and if it had closed in 2025 or 2027 it would have led to a massive shortfall of electricity in eastern Australia.
It is now time for Chris Bowen, Australia’s part-time Energy Minister, to explain how he will meet the Government’s target of having 82% of electricity generated by renewable energy resources by 2030.
In today’s announcement to the ASX Origin’s chief executive, Frank Calabria, said that “Eraring Power Station will need to run for longer to support secure and stable power supply”.
The extension of Eraring, while not unexpected, is further evidence that Chris Bowen’s plan is unrealistic and demonstrates that he has failed to meaningfully consider the security and reliability of the electricity system.
AEMO’s Transition Plan for System Security that was released late last year warned of the need to extend Eraring to maintain reliability and security of the electricity grid for households and businesses.
When Chris Bowen delivered his Annual Climate Change Statement in Parliament in November last year he still claimed that he was on track to deliver on his 2030 target – he showed that he was the only person in Australia who still believed that.
It is now time for the part-time Minister to be honest with the Australian public and admit that his 2030 and 2035 targets are impossible to meet and to be clear with the Australian people as to why electricity prices have risen by up to $1,300.
ENDS
