Green energy madness may cause blackouts – energy watchdog

6 Mar 2017 9:14 AMMichael Hart

 

Green energy madness may cause blackouts – energy watchdog

Monday, 6 March 2017

 

• Leaked submission reveals independent energy watchdog is warning Queensland could experience blackouts from Labor’s crazy 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030

• Sneaky Bailey strikes again, deliberately hiding a damning report showing Labor’s energy plan will increase power prices and kill Queensland jobs

• Premier Palaszczuk must guarantee Labor’s rush to renewables won’t hurt Queenslanders

 

Australia’s independent national energy regulator has issued a dire warning that Queensland’s energy security will suffer the same fate as South Australia because of the Palaszczuk Government’s extreme 50 per cent renewable energy target.

 

LNP Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said a leaked report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) warns the Palaszczuk Government that its extreme green energy policy could plunge Queenslanders into darkness.

 

“The respected AEMO’s primary role is to keep Australia’s lights on and they have slammed the flawed modelling behind Labor’s ideologically driven green energy targets,” Mr Hart said.

 

“The leaked report also casts serious doubt over the State Government’s claims that their green policy won’t close existing generators, increase power prices and kill jobs.

 

“Yet again, Labor’s sneaky Energy Minister Mark Bailey has hidden important information from Queenslanders and yet again, Annastacia Palaszczuk does nothing.

 

“First Bailey was hiding conversations with union bosses about $13 billion energy mergers and now he’s hiding a report critical of Labor’s lunatic plans to rush Queensland into green energy generation and risk energy security for everyday Queenslanders.

 

“The AEMO submission makes it clear that Labor’s extreme policy will cost jobs and cause electricity prices to skyrocket. It echoes a 2016 Queensland Productivity Commission report showing Queensland families would be slugged an extra $10.8 billion in power bills between now and 2030. **

 

“Mark Bailey was supposed to table the Final Report of the State Government’s Expert Renewable Energy Panel last November ***– it’s now clear why he’s refusing to release it… because it spells terrible news for Queensland households.

 

“Annastacia Palaszczuk should listen to the warnings from the independent AEMO and ditch her crazy 50 per cent renewable energy policy and support a sensible national renewable energy target like the LNP.

 

“Labor shouldn’t be gambling with Queensland’s energy future to appease the greens to keep themselves in government.”

 

Media contact: Jane Paterson 0417 281 754

 

Key Facts:

 

Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) submission to Palaszczuk Government’s Expert Panel on Renewable Energy:

Page 1: Queensland Labor’s 50% renewable energy policy “is challenging for conventional market modelling to represent. We recommend that further consideration be given to the modelling and, in particular, the projected impacts on other market participants as a result of the proposed policy.”

Page 5: AEMO notes that more accurate modelling could reveal some existing generators (both government owned and private-owned power stations “will be less profitable than conventional modelling anticipates, those plants could close earlier than anticipated. This could have impacts on prices, investment and the resulting generation outcomes, not forecast by the original modelling.”

Page 5: with respect to the security of Queensland’s energy system “… there is also potential for the power system to be more susceptible to rapid changes in frequency, and to larger frequency deviations following a separation event. These attributes are already being experienced in the South Australian power system.”

Page 5: “AMEO anticipates that this challenge will emerge in other regions, such as Queensland and Tasmania that could, in an extreme event separate from the remainder of the NEM (National Energy Market), as the whole system evolves.”  Indicating that Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target policy could force Queensland out of the National Energy Market.

 

** Queensland Productivity Commission findings http://www.qpc.qld.gov.au/files/uploads/2016/11/EPI-Final-Report.pdf

• ACIL Allen’s modelling estimates that a QRET would require a subsidy of about $10.8 billion (real) over the period to 2030. (Page 104)

• Government owned electricity generators would lose $6.2 billion. “Generators in Queensland would experience a decrease in total earnings of around $6.2 billion or 15 per cent. The Queensland Government, as owner of the majority of carbon generators in Queensland, would incur the largest financial cost.” (Page 81)

***       http://www.qldrepanel.com.au/FAQ/documents/34302/download