[Greens-Media] The Greens lay down challenge on NSW energy future

[John Kaye]

The Greens lay down challenge on NSW energy future

Media release: 25 June 2013

Greens NSW MP John Kaye has launched his party's campaign to take NSW off coal and gas fired electricity and into a renewable energy future.

('Greens plot exit from fossil fuels by 2030,' Sydney Morning Herald on line, 25 June, http://j.mp/smh130625)

The centrepiece of the campaign is legislation that the Greens plan to introduce into parliament when it resumes in August. The Transforming NSW Energy Sector (Towards 100 percent Renewables) Bill 2013 would to close down the state's large scale fossil fuel generation by 2031 while creating tens of thousands of new jobs in the clean energy sector.

Dr Kaye said: "The barriers to weaning the state off fossil fuels are no longer technical or economic. It is the politicians who are getting in the way of the tens of thousands of new jobs in renewable energy.

"The Greens are throwing down a challenge to the O'Farrell government and the Labor Opposition. The technical and economic barriers to creating a 100 percent Renewable NSW are solved. It now just takes a bit of courage to start work on a plan that will cut 60 million tonnes of CO2 from the state's greenhouse gas emissions and create tens of thousands of new jobs.

"The bill might not become law but we want to force every state politician to face the reality that there is an alternative to burning coal and gas that secures electricity supplies and a strong economic future for the state.

"Like many MPs, Opposition leader John Robertson knows this is the right thing to do but when he floated the idea that there might be life after coal he was slapped down by his own party. We want to reopen that debate and give Labor and the Coalition the opportunity to show their vision for the future of the state's energy industry.

"The state could continue with the business-as-usual coal and gas electricity industry but that would kill off the opportunity for tens of thousands of new jobs and make NSW one of the most carbon-intensive economies in the world.

"The Minerals Council's response to our bill is as predictable as it is misleading. This is the special pleading of an industry that makes billions of dollars at the expense of the future welfare of NSW and the rest of the world.

"The real threat to the state's energy supply is the unquestioning adherence to the coal industry's dominance.

"NSW will inevitably have to make the transition to clean energy. The sooner we begin the cheaper it will be and the more jobs will be generated here, rather than lost overseas," Dr Kaye said.

For further comment:  John Kaye 0407 195 455

Background

The Greens campaign for 100% Renewable NSW focuses on eliminating the 60 million tonnes of CO2 emitted each year by the state's coal-fired power stations using the tag line "Possible, affordable, essential".

This echoes the words of Danish Energy Minister and the then holder of the EU Presidency, Martin Lindegaard committing his country to suppling 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2035, when he said "I think it's doable, I think it's necessary and it's also good for the economy."

Studies conducted by the University of New South Wales and by a team of academics commissioned by Beyond Zero Emissions show that a reliable and affordable electricity supply can be maintained without burning fossil fuels.

One 500 MW unit at NSW's least efficient and most carbon-intensive power station, Wallerawang, would be closed by 2017 and replaced by renewable energy technology and energy efficiency measures, including a solar thermal power station. Employees at the power station would be guaranteed on-going employment in new clean energy generation.

The Bill would also put an end to the development of Cobbora coal mine and plans for new fossil fuelled power stations at Bayswater and Mt Piper. It seeks reform of the national grid rules to remove the bias against renewable energy and energy efficiency and binds the government to a new feed-in tariff for roof-top solar.

It would also expose and bring to an end the subsidies for fossil fuel power stations.

The total cost of the changes proposed in the bill would be less than $8.2 billion a year up to 2031, based on figures used by BZE. The final bill is likely to be substantially less as the cost of technologies such as wind and solar PV declines.

Part of the funding for the plan can be found by cashing out the $2 billion a year subsidies that NSW coal and gas power stations receive in below market price fuels. Other funds will come from both public sector borrowing and private sector investment.

For more information:  John Kaye 0407 195 455


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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

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