Snowy 2.0' will go ahead but cost increases 50 percent

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's much-hyped 'Snowy 2.0' expansion has been given the green light, however, the scheme will cost at least 50 percent more than first thought and won't be switched on for at least six years.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in a tunnel near the Tumut 2 power station.

The government will now officially proceed with the ambitious plan – nine months after the iconic Snowy Mountains scheme emerged as a solution to the country's fragmented and increasingly unreliable energy network.

Read the story by Bevan Shields in today’s Melbourne Age - “‘Snowy 2.0' will go ahead but cost increases 50 percent.”