Liddell steps toward renewable transition

May 24, 2018
Issue 
Liddell power station.
Liddell power station.

The union representing workers at the ageing Liddell power station has welcomed AGL Energy鈥檚 plan to transition it to a clean energy hub, even as pro-coal Coalition MPs called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to amend competition laws to force AGL to keep it as a coal-fired facility.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) said AGL has made the right call in deciding to not sell the power station, near Muswellbrook in NSW, to Alinta Energy, but to for battery storage, pumped hydro storage and gas turbine energy production.

It welcomed the news that AGL remains committed to securing the future of its 300 workers while it repurposes the Liddell power station and congratulated the company for not giving in to the federal government鈥檚 bullying as it proceeds with decommissioning the power plant.

ETU national secretary Allen Hicks said: 鈥淎GL Energy is doing the right thing in choosing to transition to the technologies that will be powering Australia through the 21st century.

鈥淚t appears at this stage that AGL has struck the right balance in securing the future of jobs in the power industry as it goes through the revolution from fossil fuels to renewable energy.鈥

This view is in stark contrast to the position of pro-coal coalition MP Craig Kelly, who has called for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to be that would make it 鈥渃rystal clear鈥 that closing down an essential service utility when there was 鈥渙ther options鈥, such as selling to another player, was anti-competitive behaviour. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott endorsed Kelly鈥檚 proposal, saying Liddell is an essential service and 鈥渨e can鈥檛 stand by and watch鈥 while it closes down.

They want the nearly 50-year-old generator to stay open, and to be sold to another party if AGL does not want to continue operating it as a coal-fired power station. This is .

Hicks said: 鈥淛osh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull need to leave Tony Abbott and his views in the 19th century and catch up to Australia鈥檚 power industry and the rest of the world.

鈥淯nions and the industry want secure jobs for decades to come, but Frydenberg thinks he can bully us into propping up energy technology that is fast becoming obsolete.鈥

The case to close Liddell was made more urgent by documents obtained by Environmental Justice Australia that show Liddell has been exempted from NSW air pollution regulations, meaning it can pour toxic nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere at up to 14 times the concentration allowable in the United States and almost twice the official concentration limit allowed for NSW power stations of Liddell鈥檚 age.

Hicks said AGL has acknowledged that Australia鈥檚 energy market is adapting to renewables despite the government鈥檚 refusal to accept reality. 鈥淐oal will certainly continue to play a role in Australia鈥檚 energy production and the steel industry for some time, but the evidence is clear that the jobs are moving into renewable,鈥 he said.

鈥淎GL is showing leadership in how it is embracing industry change without neglecting the livelihoods of workers. Australia鈥檚 business leaders should take note.聽

鈥淲e truly welcome that AGL currently remains committed to helping its 300 workers transition to the Bayswater power plant or the revamped Liddell without forcing any of them into redundancy.

鈥淎GL鈥檚 current support for a just transition for workers should be the norm, not the exception, in corporate Australia.鈥澛

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