Energy Minister Mark Bailey has criticised our report “Implications of a 50% renewable energy policy on Queensland’s energy sector” and claimed that the Queensland government has no plans to close any coal-fired power stations in order to meet its 50% renewables by 2030 goal. This is mathematically absurd.

• The projections aren’t ours, they are the Australian Energy Market Operators. We have just brought this information to public attention. (Data can be accessed from http://www.aemo.com.au/Electricity/National-Electricity-Market-NEM/Planning-and-forecasting/National-Transmission-Network-Development-Plan/NTNDP-database)
• Coal and gas together represent 78% of Queensland’s electricity generation; renewables only 19%. A significant proportion of the 78% has to go if we are to find the additional 31% to make renewables equal 50%.
• No other country or state has been able to dramatically increase renewables while retaining all of their coal-fired power stations: not South Australia, not Victoria, not Germany, not Great Britain, not California…
• The state government has full or joint-ownership of all but one of our power generators. Public ownership will not prevent closure.
• If the minister has no plans to close coal-fired power stations his renewables plan is not competent. And if he does have plans, he  must come clean with the Queenslanders and affected communities.
• If he will not come clean, the Premier must pull him into line.

Comment

“You either have a policy of increasing renewable energy to 50% or you don’t. If you do, you must displace some of your coal-fired generation capacity. To suggest otherwise is to treat logic and electors with contempt.

“The state, and the effected communities have the right to know what the government is going to do to mitigate the effects of these closures.” Graham Young Executive Director