Climate & Energy Program

The Prime Minister’s announcement to channel $2 billion over ten years to the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) falls drastically short of what is required to credibly tackle Australia’s emissions.

“The Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) will not bring down emissions in the majority of our economy and cannot credibly be considered a centrepiece climate policy,” says Richie Merzian, climate & energy program director at the Australia Institute.

“The ERF is just a warm-up act and we are still – 6 years on -- waiting for the main performer.

New legal advice, sought by The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program, suggests the Underwriting New Generation Investment Program is unconstitutional and lacks the legislative basis to proceed.

Key points

· Legal advice received from Fiona McLeod SC and Lindy Barrett on 15 February 2019 finds that Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor does not have constitutional authority over electricity nor the authority to fund projects under the Underwriting New Generation Investment Program, as currently proposed

So far in 2018, there have been 27 major breakdowns at gas and coal power stations in NSW. Every coal power station experienced at least one breakdown. The Tallawarra gas power station experienced three breakdowns. Aging plants Liddell and Vales Point experienced the most breakdowns.

New research shows that gas and coal power plants broke down 135 times in 2018, breaking down at a rate of once every 2.7 days. While this could be expected of an aging coal fleet, the new analysis shows that Australia’s newest coal power plants (so-called “HELE” plants) are faring just as poorly.

The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has today released its Gas & Coal Watch 2018 review, which tracks unscheduled breakdowns in gas and coal plants across the National Energy Market (NEM).

Key findings: