MEDIA RELEASE

22 June 2017

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Opposition Leader Luke Foley has used his Budget Reply speech today to call on the Government to immediately tender for 100 megawatts (MW) of storage to be delivered and in place for this coming summer.
NSW would then fall in line with other states:

• Queensland’s government is looking at battery storage in its 400 megawatts (MW) renewable energy tender.
• The Victorian government will deliver 40 megawatts (MW) of battery storage for the coming summer.
• South Australia will deliver 100 megawatts (MW) of battery storage and up to 200 megawatts (MW) of temporary diesel generation.
• The Federal Government is spending $2 billion on Snowy 2.0 – to increase generation by 50 per cent.

Labor wants to avoid a repeat of February 10 this year, when NSW ran out of power. The Australian Energy Market Operator in its Energy Supply Outlook only last week, warned of the risk of electricity supply falling short of demand, especially in extremely hot conditions.
The Market Operator has made a stark and urgent warning, which Labor will act upon.

A Labor Government will:

• Use proceeds from the transfer of the Snowy Hydro to invest in renewable generation across regional New South Wales
• Provide a fair minimum solar tariff – so that households with rooftop solar are paid fairly for the power they generate. We will legislate for the IPART recommended rate to become mandatory.
• And massively increase solar energy generation on the rooftops of government buildings.
Labor is the only party in this state with the political will to capitalise on these areas of growth potential.

Quotes attributable to Opposition Leader Luke Foley:
“This Government’s inaction is negligent in the extreme. There is much that a Labor government in 2019 and beyond, can and will do.
There is an immediate need for more energy generation that can reliably contribute towards meeting demand on the hottest afternoons as we stare down the possibility of more blackouts this summer.

Labor Leader in the Legislative Council and Shadow Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Adam Searle MLC said:
“Other states are acting while the NSW Government stands idle. A Foley Labor has a plan for secure and clean energy which we are committed to.
“The Australian Energy Market Operator’s warning is urgent after NSW ran out of power earlier this year. Labor has so far been the only party with the political will to outline a plan to avoid that happening again.”