2017-02-09
Modernising the energy grid and investing in storage technology is the only way to future-proof South Australia’s supply of electricity following more than a decade of disastrous privatisation, the Australian Greens have said.
“The situation in South Australia is an extraordinary example of failed privatisation,” South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Our state has been let down, time and time again. We need to look at developments in storage technology and invest in the Solar Thermal Power Station in Port Augusta to future proof our network.
“While the market focuses on their profits, regular South Australians are being treated like second-class citizens. The circle of blame coming from Labor and the Liberals does nothing to work towards a solution.
“Tomorrow, I will be asking serious questions of the Australian Energy Market Operator at a Senate inquiry hearing in Canberra.”
Greens Energy and Climate Change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said: “The national electricity system is breaking down on Malcolm Turnbull’s watch yet he’s more interested in launching personal attacks in Canberra than fixing the problem in South Australia.
“It is criminal that people in South Australia are going without power because Malcolm Turnbull is too gutless to step in and fix the problems in the national electricity network.
“South Australia is suffering a heatwave yet Malcolm Turnbull’s response is to burn more dirty coal and gas, which will only mean more intense heatwaves in South Australia.
“The Energy Minister has said there’s not enough wind power in South Australia and it wouldn’t have fixed the problem, but solar does quite well in a heatwave.
“Build more solar farms and they can run the air conditioners in South Australia. Attach a battery to them and they can power the air conditioners overnight.
“Malcolm Turnbull and the Federal government must take responsibility for this breakdown in the federal system and step in and fix it.”
AEMO will appear before the ‘Senate Select Committee into the Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World’ full day hearing in Parliament House tomorrow.
Media contacts
Bandt: Adam Pulford 0429 109 054
Hanson-Young: Amy Moran 0427 604 760