Snowy 2.0 real fair dinkum power: Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison declares Snowy 2.0 “real fair dinkum power” and lauds Malcolm Turnbull’s “vision” for the project.

Scott Morrison has praised Malcolm Turnbull’s vision over Snowy 2.0. Picture: AAP.

Scott Morrison has declared Snowy 2.0 is “real fair dinkum power” and lauded Malcolm Turnbull’s “vision” for the multi-billion dollar energy project.

The government will make a $1.38bn investment in the former prime minister’s pet project, but it will not generate electricity for five years.

Scott Morrison confirmed the $1.4bn for Snowy 2.0 was the equivalent of funding three coal-fired power stations but dismissed the notion the hydro project was not focused enough on lower prices and immediate power.

.@ScottMorrisonMP on the Snowy Hydro scheme expansion:

'This will be one of the largest pumped hydro projects in the world. This is groundbreaking in every sense; this is what vision looks like.'

MORE: https://t.co/HoqhhoWzm3 #amagenda pic.twitter.com/zeKQsSuMNq

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 25, 2019

“Lower emissions, lower prices, and reliability. That’s what I’m looking for. See, this is the objective. This is what the Australian people also want,” he said in Tumut.

“It is absolutely fair dinkum power. It doesn’t get more fair dinkum than this. This is fair dinkum, 100%.

“As we all know, the wind does not blow all the time and the sun does not always shine. And it’s these projects … that firms the renewable power investments that have been made in other types of renewable power, because this will be here to back it up when those power sources fail.”

Mr Turnbull took to Twitter this morning to praise Mr Morrison’s green-lighting of the project which was his signature energy policy as prime minister, apart from the abandoned national energy guarantee.

“Very pleased to see Snowy 2.0 being given the green light by @ScottMorrisonMP,” he tweeted this morning.

“The project makes renewables reliable and is the key to a lower emission, more affordable and reliable energy future. It will reduce price peaks in the energy market and thus reduce energy costs,” he wrote.

Very pleased to see Snowy 2.0 being given the green light by @ScottMorrisonMP The project makes renewables reliable and is the key to a lower emission, more affordable and reliable energy future. It will reduce price peaks in the energy market and thus reduce energy costs.

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) February 25, 2019

Mr Morrison said this morning he had been in contact with Mr Turnbull over Snowy 2.0 and said it “took his vision” for the project to come to life.

“I was in contact with Malcolm last night and he was very thrilled … it took his vision to see this and unearth those drawings,” he said in Tumut.

“What I like is the numbers and how they stack up as a former treasurer. Malcolm and I had a lot to do with each other on this project.”