Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I began the day talking about suicide and the 'black dog ride' and I will end the day talking about energy ignorance and the 'blackout slide'. Energy, which to most of us involves electricity and gas for heating or cooling, cooking or entertainment, is more than just a domestic supply issue. We also have businesses that process, pasteurise and refrigerate food and get people to work on trains. In fact I don't believe there is a single part of our lives that is not touched by our energy needs. Consequently a responsible government will make sure that energy supply is guaranteed, which is energy security, and then work on keeping the price at a level we can all afford, not just for domestic use but for every level of our vital businesses and manufacturing. This of course means not just convenience of lifestyle; it also means jobs.

So, first, we called on the Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, to deliver a blueprint for the future security of the National Electricity Market. Then we announced a massive expansion to the Snowy Hydro Scheme, called Snowy 2.0, increasing capacity by 50 per cent. Then we fund feasibility studies into a pumped hydro energy storage project at Cultana, in South Australia, which will help to stabilise that state's energy supply so that the incidence of blackouts is reduced. AGL is about to connect 1,000 batteries and households that will operate as a 5 megawatt solar power plant.

We are still working towards the agreed national renewable energy target, which will see 23.5 per cent of electricity generation come from renewables by 2020. ARENA, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, will deliver large-scale solar with 12 new large-scale solar photovoltaic projects that will triple the amount of energy produced from big solar in Australia. We have initiated the National Energy Productivity Plan (NEPP), which will increase our energy productivity by 40 per cent by 2030. Finally, we secured the commitment of major gas producers to make more gas available to the domestic market and guarantee that gas will be available to meet peak demand, which has been worrying people for some time. I dare say that there were six years of Labor when not very much was done then, either.

The blackouts in South Australia act as a wake-up call to get our energy house in order. A lower emissions future is our national aim, but not at the loss of energy security and affordability as we transition. One of the most important aspects of renewable energy is the need for base load storage. Investment into this research is critical, so there will be support for variable renewables like wind and solar. This means the feed into the grid will be more reliable.

It is absolutely essential that in the process of meeting our emissions reduction targets we do not compromise energy security, which is why we are taking a technology-neutral, sensible approach where coal and gas as base load power sources have a big role. That includes investigating the potential of carbon capture and storage. These could provide reliable base load power at 90 per cent lower emissions. Through the environmental agencies we have invested a record $220 million in storage and pumped hydro-electricity projects to respond to the challenges posed by variable supply.

Those opposite have referred to the 'apparent' energy policy development over the past four years. I would counter that by saying that they had six years to develop a policy and all we got was the carbon tax. We are calling on the states and the Northern Territory to drop their counterproductive gas bans and moratoriums. Gas is an important transition fuel, with at least half the emissions of coal. We are calling on Labor states to abandon their RETs, which drive up prices. Australia's emissions per capita are currently at their lowest level in 27 years. We have a strong track record of meeting and beating our emissions reduction targets. We simply cannot keep prices down for everyone in Australia if we even think about a 50 per cent target for renewable energy by 2030.

We began the debate today by discussing gas shortages, which is still a relative of fossil fuels. Labor is not talking about that at the end of the debate. Is it because they finally realise that this would blow the Aussie household budget, or that it will encourage businesses to leave our country? I seriously cannot believe the black hole of knowledge regarding energy. While Labor subsidises the development of the renewable sector, the essential investments in more traditional sources of electricity were ignored, and now we are seeing the results.

Using a balanced approach, we are going to avoid the big national energy blackout that is looming in front of us. Labor should put more energy into being positive about Australia rather than creating a blackout for Australians.

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