The Queensland Government is at risk of winning the prize no one wants, Australia’s number one polluter
With the Liddell power station in NSW closing today, the Queensland Government is the biggest coal powered generator in the country, and at risk of becoming Australia’s biggest climate polluter, through CS Energy, Stanwell and CleanCo.
Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman says that "this is a threat to the Queensland Government’s vision to become a renewable superpower."
“We welcomed the Queensland Government’s Energy and Jobs Plan last year, as it provided a pathway to move Queensland away from coal. However, the closure of Liddell highlights that Queensland is still moving too slowly to catch up with Southern states."
“In 2022, 22% of Queensland’s energy came from renewable sources. The rest of the National Electricity Market, excluding Queensland, averaged 40%. With the closure of LIddell, the Queensland Government will become the biggest coal-fired power generator in the country, generating 31 TWh in 2022, compared to 29 TWh from AGL’s remaining generators."
“The Government’s decision to rebuild Callide C4 means it will be neck and neck with AGL for the title of biggest polluter in Australia. If Callide C returns to its operating levels pre-explosion, our emissions will be within 2% of AGLs, and small variations in generation could tip us into first place."
“We need to be competing to secure the jobs and investment in long term future industries, not to be the biggest polluter. We desperately need to see legislated renewable energy targets and an accelerated build of renewable energy so that we can get back into the right race.”
“To do this, we need bipartisan support for the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan from the LNP opposition. Queenslanders right now are paying the highest electricity prices caused by a lost decade of action on energy transformation, and we can’t afford any more steps backwards. We are calling on David Crisafulli to outline his plan for our energy future, and it must meet or exceed the renewable energy targets within the Jobs and Energy Plan. We need bipartisan support for a faster transition, or we’ll win the prize no one wants.”
Jenny Brown, Climate Campaigner, Queensland Conservation Council
0412899 059