Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. Could the minister please update the chamber on the progress of the government's Reliable Renewables plan in supporting the rollout of reliable and affordable energy for Australian families and businesses?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question, Senator Bilyk. I'm delighted to report news today from AEMO, the market operator. Their CEO, Daniel Westerman, has said:

… electricity generated from the sun, wind and water is already meeting 40% of our energy needs throughout the year, peaking at world-leading records above 72% on the east coast and 84% on the west coast.

South Australia and Tasmania already regularly meet more than 100 per cent of their operational electricity demand from renewables and, for a 30-minute interval last December, rooftop solar alone provided more than 100 per cent of South Australia's entire underlying demand. That is reliable renewables at work: powering the grid.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know about the record. There are a lot of calls to talk a bit about the record, but the record is this: under your government, 24 coal-fired power plants announced their closure dates. Labor has a plan—

Opposition senators interjecting—

You did nothing about it, but our plan is to replace that exiting capacity with the cheapest form of energy, and that is firmed renewables. We're delivering. Under Labor we have seen a 25 per cent increase in renewables in the national grid. We've green-lit more than 50 renewable projects, and there have been over 330,000 rooftop solar installations in the last year alone. We are maximising affordable, clean energy, getting our grid to 82 per cent renewables by 2030 and investing in battery storage and transmission to ensure reliable power everywhere.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, first supplementary?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, thank you for sharing that encouraging news about the rollout of renewable generation. At the risk of overexciting those on the other side, could the minister please update the chamber on the progress of the rollout of storage technologies, such as large-scale batteries, in supporting the rollout of reliable affordable and renewable energy?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just a moment, Minister McAllister. Order on my left!

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Bilyk. I'm pleased to have very good news on this front as well, because more storage is coming onto the grid. More of the cheapest form of energy is great news for Australians, for families and for businesses. And it is also great news for the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Dutton said this about batteries back in March: 'Hopefully, the battery technology is about to be discovered, but not yet.'

It is my happy duty to inform him that not only have batteries been discovered but they are already firming our grid. In fact, last year, 4.1 gigawatts of big batteries commenced construction—more than four times the previous record, set in 2021—and, this year, we have already had 2.8 gigawatts begin construction in Australia. The plan for reliable renewables is rolling out. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, second supplementary?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that answer, Minister. Could the minister—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, I'm sorry, resume your seat. I'll wait for silence. Senator Bilyk, please continue.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, again, Minister. Could the minister explain why the government has taken this approach to ensure that Australians have access to reliable and affordable energy?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Bilyk. We take the approach we are taking because it is backed by the best advice from experts at both CSIRO and the market operator. There is, of course, another approach—isn't there, senators—and it's the one taken by those over there, to implement the most expensive form of energy known. That is the policy that is being pursued by those opposite.

An analysis by the Smart Energy Council predicts that the seven nuclear reactors proposed by the coalition would provide 3.7 per cent of Australia's energy mix in 2050 and would cost around $600 billion. We have both CSIRO and the Chief Scientist—that they appointed—saying that the earliest deployment would be in 2050. It is no wonder it took them so long to get this out the door, because this policy just does not stack up. (Time expired)