Stunning drops in cost of solar and storage turn up heat on Crisafulli Government

CSIRO has again today confirmed that renewable energy backed by storage is the cheapest option for replacing Australia’s retiring coal power stations. According to the new GenCost report, the cost of solar has reduced by 8 per cent and battery storage has plummeted by a staggering 20 per cent over the last year.

The report found solar and wind firmed by storage and transmission continue to be the cheapest new-build electricity generation, whereas small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) remain the most expensive.

Queensland Conservation Council is urging the Crisafulli Government to put economics over ideology and plan to replace Queensland’s retiring coal-fired power stations with renewable energy backed by storage.

QCC campaigner Stephanie Gray said

The time of cheap coal is over. Queensland’s ageing and increasingly unreliable coal-fired power stations are becoming more expensive to run while we’re seeing the cost of solar and batteries drop to historic lows.

Right now the Crisafulli Government is developing a 5-year Energy Roadmap for Queensland. This CSIRO report is a clear indication of the way the economic winds are blowing, and underscores that the State Government should be supporting solar and storage in a big way to get the best bang for buck for Queenslanders.

We’re urging the State Government not to fall into the same trap as the Federal Coalition by actually listening to the advice of Australia's top national science body.

Queensland’s ageing coal-fired power stations broke down an unnerving 78 times over the last summer period, even though taxpayers are forking out hundreds of millions in maintenance for these clunkers.

Any responsible government would plan for the future and utilise Queensland’s impressive renewable energy potential to replace our struggling coal-fired power stations that are scheduled for retirement.

Ultimately it’s Queensland taxpayers that will have to pay the price if the Crisafulli Government ignores cheap renewable energy in favour of blowing hundreds of millions on keeping our failing coal-fired power stations on life support.

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