Energy regulator warns of the perils of Bowen’s power policy

The Australian Energy Regulator makes special mention of the looming closure of the nation’s coal-fired power plants, starting with AGL Energy’s Liddell coal plant in April 2023, as a major reason for energy prices remaining high into the future (“Gas, electricity prices to stay high for years, regulator warns”, 17/11). As the AER stresses, the generating capacity factor of Liddell alone is many times that of new wind and solar and as such its closure has impacted forward prices in NSW. The same dire outcome will be felt across the country as the ­relentless shut-down of our coal plants continues.

What will it take for Energy Minister Chris Bowen to acknowledge the fact that delivering the cheap, secure, reliable power the nation needs to function is beyond the capability of renewables? What will it take for him to understand that households and businesses are already buckling under the pressure of high prices, and we simply cannot afford the hundreds of billions of dollars that he demands to realise his reckless scheme of installing new renewable generation and 28,000km of new transmission lines? Unfortunately, if we do tell Mr Bowen that we are unhappy with his plan to lumber us with an energy system not fit for purpose, it’s a safe bet that he would give us the same response as in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election; that “If you don’t like our policies, don’t vote for us”. Now there’s a thought for us to keep in mind on election day in 2025.

Dale Ellis, Innisfail, Qld

For a considerable number of years we have heard and read on ABC panel discussions and elsewhere that power from renew­ables is cheaper than that from fossil fuels, and getting cheaper all the time.

The implication usually was that we could expect prices to fall and keep falling until a low level was reached. It may be purely a coincidence but since the May federal election, there seems to be a change in tune.

We are now told renewables are cheaper, but we will have to endure a long transition period before prices actually stop rising and then fall at least to last year’s levels. Until then we simply have to fasten our seatbelts and pay the price, literally, for a glorious ­future sometime in the never-never.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

Cyber victims

My wife and I are Medibank Private customers who have had their personal information hacked and released by the cyber-criminal who breached security.

Like many millions of other Medibank customers, we waited with trepidation to see whether our information would be released, and it was.

Now, to add salt into the wounds, the chief executive and other executives have been rewarded by the company at the AGM with bonuses totalling more than $7m.

It’s outrageous and dis­appointing. The bonuses should be put on hold until after the upcoming review or the CEO and other executives could refuse them out of compassion for the customers impacted.

Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry, Tas

China syndrome

Maybe some serious consideration should be made of China’s actions over the past decade before there is celebration of an easing of tensions between Australia and China. The deal over Hong Kong’s one-country, two-systems scenario was ignored. A free-trade agreement between China and Australia was violated. Australian journalists were set upon by secret police, only to be saved by consular intervention. Australians have been falsely accused of espionage, tried in secret and jailed. We have had militarisation of the South China Sea, despite assurances to the contrary. Australian aircraft were interfered with, endangering life. Australian business should be very wary in any future dealings with the Chinese economy. Once bitten, twice shy!

Geoff Bushby, Milsons Point

Work in progress

As a 15-year-old teenager during school holidays, I worked in my father’s steel fabrication business serving the Gippsland oil and gas industries. I then went on to study to become a teacher and continued that work during study downtime.

After a number of years, I took a break from teaching and entered the arena of small business before returning to teaching before my retirement.

I am now working part-time as a builder’s labourer at the age of 75. Looking back on my working life, I believe that it was most diversified and I am a better person for that.

I would like to suggest that all of our politicians should enter the real world of work for a couple of weeks each year to get a genuine feel for what life is like out of the small political bubble. This could range from visiting and working in an Aboriginal outback community to being employed on a building site. They might then understand how their policies impact on people who are at the coal face of life.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic