Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this week the Prime Minister confirmed that Labor's energy policy is the Integrated System Plan. The very next day, that plan was released, and here's what it tells us.

Firstly, the total cost of Labor's system plan remains a secret because they haven't costed big projects like Snowy 2.0, CopperString, behind-the-meter solutions or even distribution upgrades—quite extraordinary. Secondly, we know from Labor's plan that they want to have a premature closure of base-load power stations, pushing 90 per cent of Australia's base-load power—24/7 power—out of the grid within 10 years. This is why the lights are going out. Thirdly, we now know that Labor's 82 per cent renewables plan is even more unachievable. They need to install seven gigawatts of new generation every single year until 2030. Last year, 1.3 gigawatts reached financial close. It just won't be done.

Labor's plan, we know, is putting all eggs in one basket. It's renewables only. It is going to leave Australians poorer and our nation weaker. The coalition, on the other hand, believes in a balanced mix of technologies: renewables, gas and, as coal retires from the system, zero emissions nuclear energy.