Coal station closures inevitable, start planning: Labor and Greens

The Hazelwood power station
will close in March.

Many of Australia's coal-fired power stations will shut in coming years no matter what the government does, but a national plan will be needed to ensure the lights stay on and price rises are limited while they are replaced with cleaner models, Labor and the Greens say.

A Senate inquiry into the retirement of coal plants heard that many energy companies, unions, community and environment groups agreed closures were inevitable and want the federal government to introduce policies to help manage the shift.

Businesses making this case included AGL, the owner of the most coal-fired power generation capacity in the country.

The Greens-Labor dominated interim committee report says: "The question is not if coal fired power stations will close, but how quickly and orderly these closures will occur and what supporting policies if any will be in place to help manage the process.

Read Adam Morton’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Coal station closures inevitable, start planning: Labor and Greens.”