The Australian Greens have warned that Labor’s plan to back coal and gas beyond 2050 undercuts any investment in battery storage manufacturing capacity.
This morning the Albanese Labor Government announced a strategy to make batteries locally, as part of its already unclear ‘future made in Australia’ policy.
And while batteries are a crucial piece of the renewable energy transition puzzle, the Greens say the Government’s plan for opening new coal and gas mines and keeping fossil fuels alive past 2050 will threaten our precious environment, the climate and their own battery plans.
In the Treasurer’s Budget speech last week, he only name-checked the climate once, while the Budget retained billions in fossil fuel subsidies including 1.5 billion dollars for the Middle Arm Gas Precinct.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:
“What Labor is trying to hide is that A Future Made In Australia is actually A Future For Coal and Gas Past 2050.
“Even just one new gas mine could wipe out any gains from people putting more batteries and solar in their homes.
“Batteries and gas are competing for the same role in the energy transition. The government has to choose what it wants: batteries built here or dirty coal and gas beyond 2050, because they can’t choose both.
“Despite gas being as dirty as coal, Anthony Albanese is as captured by the gas corporations as Scott Morrison, having already made eight new gas approvals since coming into power.
“Labor is trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes by talking big on batteries, while hoping no-one pays attention to their new coal and gas mines.”