Jay Weatherill and Tom Koutsantonis appear to differ over alternative energy security solution

ALINTA Energy has put the ball in the State Government’s court over calls to release details of the company’s proposal to keep Port Augusta’s coal-fired power station open.

• SA electricity crisis: Government unveils $550 million power plan
• Labor warned wind farms would destabilise energy grid in 2009
• Dispute over how much temporary power generators would cost
• Jay Weatherill and Steven Marshall debate SA’s power crisis
• Jay vs. Josh: Premier rips into Energy Minister live on TV

ALINTA Energy has put the ball in the State Government’s court over calls to release details of the company’s proposal to keep Port Augusta’s coal-fired power station open.

The Government has been at pains to keep secret how much financial assistance was sought by Alinta to keep the Northern power station open until 2018, denying Opposition Freedom of Information requests for related documents.

The issue on Monday put Premier Jay Weatherill and his Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis at odds.

Clutching a copy of his new energy plan, Mr Weatherill said he would “take advice” about whether he could discuss the offer, even if Alinta agreed to waive the confidentiality agreement.

However, Mr Koutsantonis had earlier agreed to releasing details when asked on ABC morning radio if he would be “happy” to discuss the offer “if Alinta says it’s okay”.

An Alinta spokeswoman told The Advertiser the company would not release details of its proposal, citing commercial confidentiality, but said any decision on whether or not to release the detail “rests with the Government”.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis announce the energy security plan.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall and Senator Nick Xenophon called on the Government to release the details.

Mr Marshall said there was a “clear dispute” between the Premier and Tresurer’s comments. “Perhaps they could get their story straight,” he said.

It comes as the Prime Minister launched another attack on Mr Weatherill, this time in federal Parliament, signalling a new low in federal-state relations.

Malcolm Turnbull labelled the Premier’s verbal assault on Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg “completely over the top” after last week casting doubt over the SA leader’s state of mind.

“The Labor Party in South Australia has now got to the point of such furious rage, the Premier is unable to contain himself within the parameters of even courtesy within the political context, let alone general behaviour,” Mr Turnbull said.

“His (Mr Weatherill’s) performance the other day at the press conference with the Minister for Energy was completely over the top.

“I can understand why he is so angry, because what he has done is literally sleepwalked his own state into an energy crisis.”

During a leaders debate on Friday, Mr Marshall challenged Mr Weatherill to reveal how much it would have cost to keep the Port Augusta coal-fired power station open longer, but he refused.

The station closed last May but the Opposition alleges that its owner, Alinta Energy, requested a financial contribution to keep it open that was “less than 10 per cent” of the $550 million Mr Weatherill has now pledged for a new energy security plan.

The plan, outlined in the document held close by Mr Weatherill and Mr Koutsantonis at public appearances since, includes a $360 million pledge to build a new gas-fired state-owned power station.

Mr Marshall called on the Government to waive the confidentiality agreement and present details of the arrangement to state Parliament to “let the people of South Australia decide whether it was a better deal” than the Government’s $550 million plan.

Mr Weatherill and Mr Koutsantonis on Monday visited 1414 Degrees at Tonsley to examine the technology company’s new energy storage solution.