Greens Lash Out At NSW Coal Power Push

The NSW government is believed to be on the verge of granting approval for the development two giant coal or gas fired power stations, drawing criticism from renewable energy supporters in the state and the Australian Greens.

   
The New South Wales government is believed to be on the verge of granting approval for the development two giant coal or gas fired power stations, drawing criticism from renewable energy supporters in the state and the Australian Greens.
   
According to New South Wales Greens MP John Kaye, “These two power stations would increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent if developed as coal fired electricity generators. If new coal fired power stations can be built in NSW it shows this government is not serious about addressing climate change.”
   
The Greens say the Keneally government is relying on a flawed study to justify the need for new baseload power and that a recent Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) report shows even without the two baseload plants, an electricity shortfall is not likely to occur until after the planning horizon at 2018/2019.
 
The Environmental Assessment Reports for each project were released for public comment last year and the applicants responses to those comments have now been placed on the Department of Planning’s website (Mt Piper Extension Bayswater B)
 
While the Environmental Assessments for the two projects states the projects would be constructed to be ready  for carbon capture and storage at a later date, the Greens say responses from the applicants suggest that the inclusion of CCS as an emissions reduction strategy is unlikely to occur at any time in the future.
 
“Advocates for these carbon intensive power plants cannot hide behind discredited spin such as ‘clean coal’ and carbon capture and storage,” Dr Kaye said.
 
The responses to submissions for the Bayswater B project discounts renewable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuel for baseload power. The Greens say this runs contrary to the government’s own statements and the efforts for private industry investment in renewable energy projects in NSW. 
 
“Building new fossil fuel baseload plant will devastate the future of renewable energy and energy efficiency in this state and cost tens of thousands of jobs,” says Dr Kaye.
 
The NSW Greens have published an online petition calling on the Keneally government to reject  the development of any new coal fired power generation facilities in NSW.
 

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