Television presenter Waleed Aly has criticised energy minister Josh Frydenberg for failing the Australian people who are facing increased energy bills and the likelihood of blackouts throughout summer.
This comes after The Australian Energy Marketing Operator issued Frydenberg a report on Monday saying the existing network will fail and that blackouts could hit at least two states this summer, News Corp reports.
The system failures are due to coal-fuelled power stations closing down; limited reserve power sources; and the absence of sustainable, renewable energy supplies.
The report warned the government will need to pay businesses with private gas and diesel generators to be on standby – meaning Australian households will collectively face a $50 million price hike in energy bills.
“This was all foreseeable,” Aly said to the minister on last night’s The Project. “That’s why we have policy to try to generate interest and investment in renewables and you’ve trashed it.”
“This is an abject failure of policy.”
Frydenberg defended the government, saying there is a “record” rate ($7 billion) of investment currently in renewables, but Aly wasn’t having it.
“It should be far further along than it is,” he told the minister. “We should have that renewable power right now ready to go.”
The minister also defended the $50 million price hike, saying “when spread across the Australian consumer base it’s not a lot of money in the scheme of things”.
Though Aly “loves a candlelit dinner as much as the next sensitive new-aged guy”, he said – when it comes down to it – the price hike and the blackouts remain the ministers responsibility.
“Given this was entirely foreseeable and we have rolling blackouts this summer, doesn’t this necessarily mean it’s your fault?” he asked.
To read about how to ‘instantly save $500 on a power bill while doing almost nothing’, click here.
For info on ‘rentvesting’ – the growing trend helping young Aussies own their own home, click here.
And for online apps to help you save, click here.
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Top Comments
Let's ban corporate donations to political campaigns and stop the big parties supporting Big Coal.
This has come about because neither of politics is willing to budge or work together on a solution. Power companies are probably terrified to invest as everytime the government changes the entire energy solution changes back and forth from renewable to coal.
If politicians are not strong enough to do their job and work out a long term fixed solution maybe they should hold another plebiscite.
No, the liberal-Nats have never actively supported renewables. They are too beholden to their coal mates.