Coal prices have risen internationally but Ukraine had nothing to do with energy prices rising in Australia. Investment in solar and wind is to blame.
It is important that the government in this country start facing reality and stop hiding the problem.
The Ukraine has nothing to do with coal prices in this country. In fact, Australian coal prices did not rise at all under their existing long term contracts for our coal-fired power stations.
The government must stop misleading parliament that rising electricity prices in Australia are due to a war in the Ukraine.
Massive solar and wind subsidies are the cause of Australians suffering some of the highest electricity prices in the world. Every time a coal fired power station is shut in this country we see yet the another spike in our power bills because unreliable ‘renewables’ cannot provide the same inexpensive baseload power supply.
This government’s Safeguard Mechanism Bill will add even more fines to reliable coal-fired power and yet more pain for Australian households.
Transcript
Blaming Ukraine for a problem that has been caused entirely in this country leads to misleading the population of Australia and hiding the problem. The real problem is our energy prices.
Coal prices have gone up internationally but not for Australian contracts feeding power stations in this country. Stop misleading the parliament.
Coal prices that feed our electricity in this country are still on the same long-term contracts at $80 to $100 a tonne as they had been before Ukraine became an issue. What’s really killing this country is investment in solar and wind, which are inherently more expensive because they produce far less and lower-density electricity and so their unit costs of electricity are far higher.
Every time a coal-fired power station is shut in this country, we see the spike and an increase in electricity prices.
Minister, it is important that governments in this country start facing up to the reality rather than blaming something in Ukraine. Ukraine had nothing to do with the continuation of coal prices in this country not rising at all. It had nothing to do with energy prices rising due to solar and wind and subsidies and now you safeguard mechanism adding to fines for coal-fired power. These are the things that are crippling our country and crippling our productive capacity.
Well capsulated. Energy prices always subject to fluctuation (particularly upwards) when insufficient bunkers or strategic reserves kept in Australia for local consumption at minimal prices for 3-6 months minimum.