Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP says the closure announcement of Australia’s largest coal fired plant shows why Australia urgently needs a credible climate and energy plan.
Origin Energy has brought forward closure of the NSW Eraring power plant, one of the most polluting in the country, by seven years to 2025.
Despite this build up of announced coal closures before 2030, the government’s own projections that they took to Glasgow show another one to two further coal plants closing in the next eight years, which the government won’t tell us – or coal communities – about.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“We urgently need a national climate and energy plan to manage this accelerating shift from coal.”
“Instead of lying to coal workers and their communities about a future for coal, Liberal and Labor need to get real and join the Greens with a plan that secures workers’ future.”
“By lying to communities about the future of coal, Liberal and Labor are leaving workers exposed to the wolves of the market.
“The climate crisis and falling costs are driving a renewables revolution and it’s not going to stop.”
“Everyone could see this coming. Instead of fighting the renewables revolution, Scott Morrison should have been investing in renewables and storage and putting in place a planned phase down of coal.
“Coal workers and the Hunter community are being left behind by the big energy corporations and the Morrison government. They have failed to put in place a renewables and industry investment plan for the region, leaving everything to the decision of overseas corporate boardrooms.”
“The fact Origin is giving only the minimum notice for the power plants closure shows that coal is on the nose financially.”
The Greens election policy calls for increased government investment in renewables, storage and the grid and a timetable for the orderly closure of coal fired power stations and support for workers and communities.
Mr Bandt and NSW Greens Senate Candidate David Shoebridge will visit the Hunter region to meet with the community and coal workers next week.