'Rings hollow': Keeping Liddell plant open longer not the way to go, poll finds

Barely one in five voters surveyed want to see the Liddell power station's life extended by either the federal government forcing owners AGL Energy or using public funds to do so, a new poll has found.

AGL says keeping Liddell Power Station open
a further five years from its scheduled closure in
 2022 would cost in the order of $500 million.

The ReachTEL survey of 2176 respondents conducted nationwide for the Climate Council last Wednesday, found even Liberal voters were roughly split – 40 to 39 per cent – over whether a Clean Energy Target that favoured renewable energy was the best approach rather than government fiat or subsidies.

Labor and Greens voters overwhelmingly supported a renewable energy approach rather than extending the Hunter Valley plant's life. About 29 per cent of One Nation supporters, though, backed forcing AGL to keep it open.

"The public has made its mind up on Liddell – and more broadly on the future energy direction of the country," Amanda McKenzie, chief executive of the Climate Council, said. "Australians understand the future is clean energy, whether on cost or environmental grounds.”

Read Peter Hannam’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “'Rings hollow': Keeping Liddell plant open longer not the way to go, poll finds.”