Statement in response to Federal Government announcement it seeks to delay coal fired power plant closures by introducing new rules that five years’ notice must be provided before closing power stations.
“What we are seeing is another knee-jerk reaction from Minister Taylor because Australia’s Energy Minister was left out of key negotiations on Australia’s largest coal plant closure in the country,” said Richie Merzian, climate & energy program director at the Australia Institute.
“Minister Taylor must be suffering from a bit of FOMO with plant closure deals being stitched up behind his back.
“It raises eyebrows that a government so resistant to planning a roadmap for Australia’s coal closures is now apparently so keen for longer plant closure notice periods.
“It is abundantly clear that coal plants are going to accelerate their closures, closing faster than their official retirement dates. If this Government was genuine about providing certainty to coal communities, it would develop a national coal closure roadmap rather than attempting to strong-arm coal plants one by one.
“Failure to develop a coal closure roadmap leaves workers and communities without support or a plan for the future.”
