AGL chief determined to turn Liddell into renewables hub

The AGL chief executive, Andy Vesey, says he plans to “fully execute” his vision of transforming the Liddell coal-fired power station into a renewables hub, saying it will bring cheaper, greener and more reliable energy, while providing quality, long-term jobs for decades.

 AGL’s Andy Vesey speaks at an event in Sydney on Friday,
 where he also addressed the Liddell plant issue. 

Vesey left little doubt about his desired future for the plant during a speech on energy policy on Friday, again defying renewed pressure from the Turnbull government.

He said transforming the site into an integrated renewables hub – comprising renewable generation, batteries, gas and demand response – would be vastly preferable to extending its life for several years. 

Read the story by Christoper Knaus from The Guardian - “AGL chief determined to turn Liddell into renewables hub.”

Malcolm Turnbull puts AGL board on notice in power crisis

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is targeting the board of energy giant AGL in his push to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station open, warning the company has a duty to consider a sale and prevent a looming east coast power shortage.

Malcolm Turnbull has stepped up the pressure AGL and its
 boss Andy Vesey to keep the ageing Liddell power station open

But the Prime Minister has signalled a compromise with the directors and their combative chief executive, Andy Vesey, telling Fairfax Media the company could avoid selling the plant to a competitors as long as it kept Liddell running “for a few more years”.

Read David Crowe’s story from The Age - “Malcolm Turnbull puts AGL board on notice in power crisis.”

Coalition MPs in push to nationalise Liddell coal-fired power station

A group of Coalition MPs are so intent on propping up AGL's ailing Liddell power station they are calling on the Turnbull government to forcibly acquire the coal-fired power plant.

"If we need legislation then we should consider
 that": Nationals MP George Christensen.

But Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg all but ruled out the idea on Thursday, insisting the federal government was not going to start nationalising assets.

The charge for intervention is being led by Nationals MP George Christensen, but other MPs are said to have a degree of support for the idea, including former prime minister Tony Abbott and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.

Mr Christensen told Fairfax Media a compulsory land acquisition would mean the government could run Liddell itself or, if necessary, sell it to interested Chinese giant Shandong Ruyi.

Read Michael Koziol’s story from The Age - “Coalition MPs in push to nationalise Liddell coal-fired power station.”

AGL rebuffs Malcolm Turnbull and commits to ditching Liddell power station for gas, wind and solar

The Turnbull government will seek expert advice on AGL's new electricity generation plan after the energy giant rebuffed the government and confirmed it would close its coal-fired Liddell power plant.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after meeting
with AGL boss Andy Vesey in September.

The company believes it can meet the energy shortfall and reduce emissions through a multi-phase development of gas, wind and solar plants, while proceeding with the long-slated closure of Liddell in 2022.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has made electricity supply and power prices a key electoral issue, had implored AGL to consider extending the life of the ailing power station or find a willing buyer.

He said yesterday AGL's plan was "not at all" a rebuke of the government and it will be assessed by the Australian Energy Market Operator by mid-February.

Read Michael Kaziol’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “AGL rebuffs Malcolm Turnbull and commits to ditching Liddell power station for gas, wind and solar.”

Replacing Liddell with renewables is $1.4 billion cheaper than government plan, report says

The Turnbull government's plan to keep the worn-out Liddell power station running for another five years would cost about $1.4 billion more than replacing it with clean energy, and spew millions of tonnes of damaging carbon pollution, a new analysis shows.

The Australian Conservation Foundation says
 replacing Liddell's capacity with clean energy
would be far cheaper and less polluting.

The findings cast further doubt on the wisdom of keeping Australia's oldest operating coal plant open beyond its slated closure in 2022, and have implications for the expected retirement of most existing coal-fired power stations within 15 years.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg in September ordered energy giant AGL to keep open the coal-fired plant for five extra years or sell it to a party that will.

The demand followed a report by the Australian Energy Market Operator that warned the closure of Liddell, in NSW's Hunter region, would leave a 1000-megawatt shortfall of "flexible, dispatchable" capacity, which is energy that can be created on demand.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Replacing Liddell with renewables is $1.4 billion cheaper than government plan, report says.”

AGL urged to close Liddell 'clunker' by protesters

AGL has found support for its plan to shut the Liddell power station from a slightly unexpected quarter - protesters outside its Sydney office.

AGL's Liddell power station. 

The mixed group of shareholders, customers and environmentalists presented a petition signed by almost 12,000 people urging the company to close the Hunter Valley plant, ahead of Wednesday's AGM in Melbourne. 

"AGL is Australia's biggest climate polluter and if it is to address climate change then the company needs to get out of coal," Nature Conservation Council campaign director Daisy Barham told Fairfax Media.

"They need to close Liddell, we can't rely on this clunker of a power station to keep the lights on."

The Nature Conservation Council said the estimated $1 billion required to keep Liddell open beyond its scheduled closure in 2022 should be invested in new clean energy generation.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “AGL urged to close Liddell 'clunker' by protesters.”

AGL may turn to gas, as power units fai

AGL may consider converting its Liddell power station to gas as its coal-fired generation units fail in future years.

The Liddell Power Station in the Hunter Valley. 

The potential of the re-purposing of the existing plant was highlighted during a media site visit on Tuesday to a plant that has become a focal point for the increasing toxic energy policy debate.

During the tour, high-level AGL management outlined the potential, and likelihood, of the site being repurposed from coal-fired power.

AGL chief economist Tim Nelson said "repowering'' was an option for the site, due to its access to transmission services, adding that this could include gas or biomass.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “AGL may turn to gas, as power units fail.”

Energy market operator says Liddell doesn't have to stay open, as Tony Abbott casts doubt on Paris pledge

The Turnbull government's insistence that the ageing Liddell coal-fired power plant must stay open longer has been cast into doubt by the operator of Australia's electricity market, who says there are other ways to head off a predicted power shortfall.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Environment
and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg. 

Australia's energy quandary dominated question time on Thursday, as the government and Labor tussled over who was responsible for rising power prices and how best to deliver a reliable, affordable power supply.

Appearing at a hearing in Canberra on Thursday, Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Audrey Zibelman said battery storage, renewable energy, management of consumer demand and upgrading existing power plants could all help meet a predicted 1000-megawatt shortfall in flexible, dispatchible capacity – power that can be created on demand – when energy giant AGL closes its Liddell power plant in 2022.

The Turnbull government is pressuring AGL to keep the Liddell station open for five more years. However, the power company insists it has no plans to sell the plant or keep it open.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Energy market operator says Liddell doesn't have to stay open, as Tony Abbott casts doubt on Paris pledge.”

Turnbull, AGL attempt to thrash out solution to Liddell coal plant stand-off

The Turnbull government is piling pressure on electricity company AGL to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station open for five more years, ahead of a meeting on Monday designed to thrash out a solution to the political impasse over the future of the plant.

The Turnbull government wants the Liddell Power
Station to operate for another five years from 2022,
when it is supposed to close.

And junior coalition partner, the Nationals, have stepped up their war on renewable energy after they adopted a policy of phasing out all subsidies over the next six years at their party conference.

Former resources minister Senator Matt Canavan told the conference "the biggest protection racket going around is in our renewable energy sector", in comments that underscore the ideological fault lines within the Coalition government over energy policy and the difficulty the government faces in deciding whether to adopt a clean energy target.

Read the story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Turnbull, AGL attempt to thrash out solution to Liddell coal plant stand-off.”