Queensland power: Malcolm Turnbull attacks Palaszczuk Government’s green energy target

MALCOLM Turnbull has warned Queenslanders are facing power blackouts and steeper energy bills because of the Palaszczuk Government’s “aggressive, extremely unrealistic” green energy target.

MALCOLM Turnbull has warned Queenslanders are facing power blackouts and steeper energy bills because of the Palaszczuk Government’s “aggressive, extremely unrealistic” green energy target.

The Prime Minister has called an emergency meeting with all state energy ministers over concerns Labor “ideology” was risking the nation’s energy security.

As Mr Turnbull cautioned Queensland about its race to renewables, Annastacia Palaszczuk was spruiking her plan to secure 50 per cent of the state’s energy from green sources in just 14 years.

It is now 4.5 per cent, the lowest of all states, but under Labor, Queensland has adopted one of the most aggressive targets of all mainland states. Intermittent renewable energy (such as solar and wind) is currently more expensive than coal-fired power and LNG.

“(We) are helping Queensland to become the renewable energy powerhouse we should have always been,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Mr Turnbull said some governments were being irresponsible.

“Now, I regret to say that a number of the state Labor governments have over the years set priorities and renewable targets that are extremely aggressive, extremely unrealistic, and have paid little or no attention to energy security.

“The state-based targets, some of which are completely unrealistic — I mean Queensland, for example, has 50 per cent renewable target currently; renewables are about 4.5 per cent of their mix.

“So what’s the pathway to achieve that? It is very hard to see it. It’s a political or ideological statement.”

The issue has been thrust on to the national political agenda after South Australia was this week hit with a statewide power blackout. It was caused by an extreme weather event, although Mr Turnbull said there was no doubt the “extremely aggressive” shift to renewables had strained the electricity network.

In July, South Australian power prices skyrocketed from about $100 a megawatt hour to $14,000/MWh, the maximum price, partly because it was not windy enough to generate energy. About 40 per cent of South Australia’s energy is sourced from renewable energy.

The issue yesterday revealed a political chasm between Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, who disputed Mr Joyce’s assertion that South Australia’s blackout this week was caused by a failure of state wind farms.

Premier Jay Weatherill accused Mr Joyce of leading a “jihad against wind farms”.

“This is a weather event — not a renewable energy event,” Mr Weatherill said.