LABOR: REMOVE CONSTRAINTS SO RENEWABLES CAN MASSIVELY REDUCE POWER BILLS

Media Release

1 May 2020

NSW Labor has welcomed a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator which states that, with some changes, the electricity system could safely operate with up to 75 per cent renewable energy by 2025 and even higher levels of renewables after that time.

However, these findings highlight the failure of the Berejiklian Government to deliver a clear road map on achieving clean energy for NSW.

NSW gets only 17 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, making it the second worst State in the country, compared to the national level of renewables of 24 per cent. In 2014, NSW had 12.9 per cent renewable energy.

Under the Liberals and Nationals, renewable energy in NSW is growing by an average of less than 1 per cent a year.

Labor Leader in the Legislative Council and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Adam Searle MLC, said while the “roadblocks” identified in the AEMO report to achieving the the 75 per cent renewables component the electricity system can safely operate with could be addressed, NSW would not realise this potential due to the policies of the Berejiklian Government.

“Given that new-build renewable energy is the cheapest source of electricity, governments must remove system constraints so homes and businesses across NSW can have cheaper energy and the State can cut its carbon emissions,” Mr Searle said.

“The Berejiklian Government has failed to deliver a clear plan for how NSW switches to clean and cheaper energy, leaving it to a broken market to sort out.

“Under this government, renewable energy is barely growing each year. The Minister for Energy knows what needs to be done, but has failed to deliver on his promises because the rest of the government just does not believe in clean energy.” — Adam Searle MLC, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy

“The National Party and the right wing of the Liberal Party are living in the past and refuse to see that more energy from the sun and wind, backed by storage, will deliver lower prices and more jobs for our State.”