PM pushes for national renewable energy target, says SA blackout was a wake-up call

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull says SA’s state-wide blackout was a “wake-up” and chance for the whole country to agree on a target for renewable energy.

• THE REPORT: Premier stakes career on renewables
• TORY SHEPHERD: Left in the dark as politicians keep politicking
• Look to our sun, urges Hewson
• Mid-North prepares for Sunday power-up
• ANALYSIS: Facts challenge Jay’s blackout spin

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull says SA’s state-wide blackout was a “wake-up” and chance for the whole country to agree on a target for renewable energy.

State and federal energy ministers are meeting in Melbourne today to begin thrashing out a deal.

The Federal Government has taken aim at South Australia’s “ideological” and “aggressive” renewable energy targets, while Premier Jay Weatherill has rejected any suggestion the state’s wind power played a role in last week’s blackout.

The market regulator and South Australia will debrief ministers on the SA events and the ministers will discuss gaps in the electricity infrastructure and the virtue of state-based renewable energy targets.

Mr Turnbull told The Advertiser that it was “time to take the ideology out of this argument and put some honesty and certainty in”.

“We must keep the lights on,” he said.

“SA’s crisis is a wake-up call for all of the jurisdictions in Australia to settle on a single renewable target.

“In SA I saw first-hand the impact of the storm and how the blackout made things even worse. After talking to some of the businesses and farmers who lost so much, it’s obvious all governments must balance three things: we have to have secure, reliable energy; we have to have affordable energy; we have to cut emissions.”

State Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said renewable energy must be able to better connect to the national power grid and that last week’s blackout had focused the Federal Government’s attention on the national electricity market, which is past its use-by date.

“At the moment we have a national energy market which is emitting more carbon and not allowing the transition to clean energy to take place, something that must happen if we are going to meet the Federal Government’s renewable energy target,” he said.

Mr Koutsantonis said the statewide blackout highlighted the need to push for rapid reforms as a nation.

“We’ll also be setting the terms of reference for an independent inquiry into what caused the blackout, and how federal energy agencies performed during the event,” he said.

Opposition energy spokesman Dan van Holst Pellekaan said South Australia needed a “root and branch” review into whether renewable energy had created the most expensive and least reliable electricity system in the country.

“All potential solutions also need to be assessed — including potential value of new interconnection, renewing market rules, large scale battery storage and the full impact of intermittent power,” he said.

Business SA Industry and Government Engagement Executive Director Anthony Penney said today’s meeting must focus on pricing and reliability of SA’s power supplies.

He also called on the State Government to act on previous Business SA calls for an independent inquiry into all options to transition South Australia’s electricity market to a low carbon future which protects the long-term interests of consumers with respect to price, quality, reliability and safety.