“Net zero is such a monumental policy disaster that not even its chief architect Chris Bowen dared speak its name, failing to mention net zero even once at this National Press Club address,” said Saxon Davidson, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.
Today, Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Minister Chris Bowen addressed the National Press Club, where he spoke about the government’s energy policies. The address included statements such as “coal isn’t baseload anymore” and “good climate policy is good energy security policy”.
“The fact that Chris Bowen, the President of Negotiations at COP 31, would not mention the policy of net zero shows that it is as dead as the dodo.”
“Claiming coal is not a baseload source of energy due to the ageing fleet of power stations is not only a denial of reality but shows a lack of understanding as to why they are ageing in the first place: red tape and the government’s addiction to renewable expansion.”
“The solution to ageing coal fired power stations is simple, build more coal fired power stations, it is not to replace them with unreliable and intermittent renewables,” Mr Davidson said.
“What is more interesting is what Mr Bowen did not say rather than what he did.”
“Clearly the government’s focus groups are telling them that the mere usage of the phrase ‘net zero’ is toxic for the government,” said Mr Davidson.
“Given net zero is the justification for the rapid adoption of wind and solar, the choice to abandon talk of net zero should be followed by a recognition that the net zero policies must go too.”
Additionally, there was no mention of the CSIRO’s most recent GenCost report which, as recent IPA analysis showed, finally conceded that net zero means higher prices for Australian families and businesses compared with not pursuing the policy.
“It is increasingly obvious that net zero means higher prices for families and a less reliable energy system. Despite this, the energy minister continues to push the lie that wind and solar are the cheapest form of energy,” said Mr Davidson.
“A genuine address about energy security would have included a plan to shift away from emissions targets and instead upgrade and expand our existing fleet of coal fired power stations, remove the ban on nuclear energy, and reform on the approval processes of resource projects.”
To download the IPA’s research on the system-wide cost of net zero and renewable energy, click here.
