SA ‘stands ready’ to become model of sweeping national energy reform

Premier Peter Malinauskas has made a pitch to colleagues in Canberra, while SA continues to face possible blackouts, even as the energy crisis eases.

South Australia is still facing the threat of rolling blackouts on Friday, but the energy market operator says the power crisis gripping much of the country has eased.

The Australian Energy Market Operator said its unprecedented action of seizing control of the wholesale electricity market on Wednesday had helped ease pressure on the nation’s struggling electricity grid.

“Since suspending the spot market, AEMO has been able to manage electricity supply more effectively to meet expected demand,” it said in a statement.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the suspension of the spot market would continue indefinitely, but “not a day more or less than necessary”.

Despite AEMO’s renewed outlook, SA has been warned to brace for possible load shedding – controlled blackouts to ease pressure on the grid – on Friday.

The supply crunch times flagged by AEMO for Friday are 7.30am to 8.30am and 5pm to 9pm, though the operator reviews the times constantly.

In a bumper trip to Canberra on Thursday, Premier Peter Malinauskas told his federal colleagues SA stood ready to become the model for sweeping national reform of the energy market to reverse years of policy “malaise”.

“There’s no silver bullet or immediate solution – if there was, someone would have fired that gun some time ago,” Mr Malinauskas said before meeting Mr Bowen at Parliament House.

“But South Australia does have the role of being a lead legislator when it comes to the federation with regards to the energy market.”

Mr Malinauskas said SA “stood ready” to pass any legislation that could act as a jumping platform for other states around the country, or the federal government itself.

“I’m very determined to use the power that has been vested in my government in the parliament to be used for the national good when it comes to energy market reform,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said he received advice that SA was in a “relatively stronger position” for energy security and supply than eastern states. AEMO said the situation in NSW had “improved markedly”.

Labor handout photo of the meeting with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen in Canberra. Picture: Supplied

While the Premier did not offer any short-term solutions to the current crisis, he spruiked to Mr Bowen SA’s plan to build a $593m hydrogen power plant to help prevent future energy disasters.

The meeting came as Anthony Albanese pleaded for an end to the “climate wars” after officially signing up to a policy of reducing emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

“What today demonstrated … is an opportunity that Australia has to end the climate wars – an opportunity to reach for solutions, not arguments,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Malinauskas also attended the Council for the Australian Federation with all state premiers and territory chief ministers, before a dinner with Mr Albanese.

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