Coal dead under Labor’s dramatic renewables plan

NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley has pledged that “as close as possible to 100 per cent’’ of energy will come from renewables.

NSW Labour leader Michael Daley. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has pledged that half of the state’s energy will come from renewab­le sources by 2030 and “as close as possible to 100 per cent energy from renewable sources by 2050” — a drastic move against coal-fired power.

It would be the first renewable energy target NSW has had, with the state currently obtaining less than 13 per cent of its energy from renewable sources.

The policy announced yesterday comes with key marginal seats affected by the Greens vote on the north coast and in Coogee in Sydney, and was strongly criticised by Liberal campaign spokesman Dominic Perrottet.

“Under (federal) Labor, when Kevin Rudd released his renewable energy targets, he said it would cost families $1 per year. How did that go?” Mr Perrottet said. “Labor want to do to NSW what they did to South Australia and have the highest power prices in the land and no energy to boot.”

Mr Daley said yesterday that the Coalition had failed “for eight years to develop a plan to fight climate­ change”. “A Daley Labor government will put climate change at the centre of its decision­-making,’’ he said.

“One of my first acts as Labor leader was creating a climate change portfolio because it is time governments acted decisively to deal with this pressing issue.’’

Labor has also promised a target­ of 100 per cent renewable energy for all state government agencies by 2025 (the target is currently just 6 per cent).

However the “as close as possible to 100 per cent’’ caveat leaves room for gas-fired power to fill the gap should technology not allow a total conversion to renewable energy. Mr Daley also promised to hold a climate change summit in his first year in office.

The government is attempting to win the north coast seat of Ballina off the Greens, to not lose nearby Lismore to the Greens or Labor, and to hold Coogee and Tweed against Labor — all seats where environmental issues are in play. Premier Gladys Berejik­lian need lose only six seats to fall into minority government.

“We have no plans to close coal-fired power stations early,” Labor’s energy spokesman Adam Searle said, but more than 80 per cent of coal-fired power stations were due to be shut by 2035 and he did not imagine the private sector­ would invest any more. Coal-fired power supplies about 80 per cent of NSW electricity.

Mr Daley pledged to oppose the coal-seam gas project proposed by Santos at Narrabri, in the state’s northeast, and after the mining union objected to Labor’s failure to back a central coast coalmine.

Ms Berejiklian announced yesterday a special commission of inquiry into the drug ice would begin on March 28 and would be greater in scope than first announced.

The Premier said the inquiry would hold hearings in Broken Hill, Dubbo, the Hunter Region, Lismore and Nowra — with many of those areas within marginal seats.

Mr Perrottet also announced the government would seek $7.9 million in costs from Eddie Obeid after the jailed former power­broker sued the Independ­ent Commission Against Corruption over corruption findings against him. Last year it was reported that the government would pursue Obeid for $5m.