Energy Security Board Head Bells The Cat on Net Zero Failure

“The fact that the Federal Government’s number one energy security adviser has declared that renewables cannot provide the baseload power Australia needs demonstrates how dangerous net zero is for the future of our nation,” said Dr Kevin You, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.

As reported in Nine Newspapers today, Chair of the Energy Security Board, Anna Collyer, will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow with State and Federal leaders to, “force retailers to pay generators to invest in power projects that can quickly be called on when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.”

“Ms Collyer has today inadvertently belled the cat on wind and solar power generation. Her comments are telling us what real Australians already know, which is these ‘solutions’ can never provide the affordable and reliable energy our nation needs,” Dr You said.

“Make no mistake, this emergency meeting to force retailers to pay for the ESB’s ‘capacity market’ plan is code for even higher energy prices for real Australians with even less reliability in our energy market.”

A recent survey commissioned by the IPA found that 72% of respondents want affordability or reliability to be the focus of Australia’s energy policy. Only 28% believe that the focus should be on meeting the policy of net zero emissions by 2050.

The ESB’s “capacity market” plan was first floated by former ESB Chair Kerry Schott, which failed under the previous government, and is now it is being tried on again.

“Real Australians are screaming out for affordable and reliable energy, yet our energy market is being run by net zero ideologues rather than engineers,” Dr You said.

“Net zero is forcing reliable and affordable baseload power generators out of the electricity market in preference of unreliable wind and solar, which is the very reason for Ms Collyer’s emergency meeting tomorrow.”

“At the end of the day our leaders cannot escape the immutable fact that if you are counting on renewables then count on black-outs and explosive power price hikes.”

“The only solution to Australia’s energy crisis is to abandon net zero and slash red tape on coal, gas, and oil exploration and development,” Dr You said.