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

My question goes to the Prime Minister. The Australian Energy Market Operator is right now scrambling to avoid blackouts by cutting deals with factories to temporarily shut down, and the New South Wales Premier is asking residents 'not to run your dishwasher, not to run your washing machine this afternoon'. Prime Minister, is this what Labor's plan for a 'renewable energy superpower' really will look like?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the member for Herbert is now warned. There will be no interjections while a question is being asked—it's deja vu—and no interjections before someone begins answering.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for the question, because it gives me an opportunity to update the House on the situation in New South Wales this afternoon. As the House is aware, New South Wales is undergoing a lengthy and severe heat wave, which is, of course, increasing demand on the energy system. It's a statement of fact: when there's a heat wave, energy demand goes up. In addition, in New South Wales there are five units of coal and gas production that are not operating. Two of them were unexpected breakdowns in coal-fired power units. Of course, that has added to pressures in New South Wales.

It is the case that a lack of reserve notice has been issued. This is not an unusual circumstance; this is AEMO doing its job. In fact, in the last quarter of the Morrison government, lack of reserve notices were administered 36 times, and, in the quarter before that, 55 times. As a result of the lack of reserve notice that AEMO have issued, I'm advised that they have secured extra supplies as a result of the situation that is commonly put in place, which is to provide extra supplies. AEMO have advised me that there are enough reserves for New South Wales this afternoon. Of course, they are taking necessary precautions in case there is another unexpected outage of a coal-fired unit, which is always a risk.

AEMO has also advised me that batteries will play a very important role this afternoon in New South Wales. As you would expect, Mr Speaker, during the day they are absorbing energy, and they will be called upon this evening. That is the advice of AEMO. So it would be disingenuous and dishonest to blame renewables when you have five units out, four of them coal, two of them breakdowns. We have not had a day in the last 18 months where there hasn't been a breakdown a coal-fired power unit across the National Energy Market.

The opposition choose to say that they would sweat the assets and rely more on those coal-fired power stations. What we say is that we will continue to roll out renewables and batteries to support this transition. The honourable member referred to a blackout in south-west New South Wales, which was resolved at nine o'clock this morning, which was not load shedding, which was not related to heat, which was not related to energy generation. It was because a transmission line was hit by a storm. The member for Fairfax might want to get better information.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There's far too much noise.

Leader of the Opposition! I am just going to make sure everyone is adhering to the standing orders. There was just far too much noise during that answer. So we're just going to make sure today is a little different. I haven't been happy with the level of noise. It is the last week, and we just have to make sure we are all working together as hard as we can.