New coal plant may be coalition price for clean energy target

There is increased speculation that the Coalition government is prepared to spend taxpayers money on a new clean/cleaner/cleanish/not-quite-so-dirty coal plant in an effort to get conservative support for a clean energy target and even to appease potential One Nation voters.

Alpha Males and the Lump of Coal.

The construction of new coal fired generator – be it in the Latrobe valley or the preferred location of north Queensland – makes no economic sense whatsoever, despite the insistence by conservatives and the Murdoch media that it will “produce jobs” and lower energy prices.

But The Australian reported on Monday that prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and energy minister Josh Frydenberg are considering offering a government-funded coal plant as the ransom to pay to get a clean energy target approved by conservative factions led by former PM Tony Abbott and Craig Kelly.

The proposal, the paper says, will be put to the party room later this month, presuming it hasn’t already torn itself apart over the issue of same-sex marriage.

The energy industry has already ridiculed the idea of a new coal-fired generator, many times over, including the big three energy retailers, the main coal generation lobby, and most energy analysts.

Read the story by Giles Parkinson on RenewEconomy - “New coal plant may be coalition price for clean energy target.”