Victorian Coalition Will Not Close Coal Power Plants Early
ABC Gippsland
Topic: Coal
Yallourn coal-fired power station will close in 2028.
In short:
The Victorian Coalition will not force coal plants to close early if they win the election.
Victoria has many coal-fired energy plants that will retire in the next decade.
What's next?
The Yallourn plant will close on schedule in June 2028.
The Victorian Coalition will not accelerate the closure of coal-fired power stations.
The Nationals announced the plan, citing warnings of electricity shortfalls when Yallourn closes in 2028.
Mr Cameron said the Labor government's plan to close Loy Yang A in 2035 is not working well.
The Coalition's announcement is to keep existing power stations running as long as possible.
The Coalition will rely on coal-fired generators to supply consistent power to Victoria.
It's not about building new coal plants.
The current coal plants will run until their end of life or until other energy forms can take over.
Many coal-fired energy plants are in Gippsland's Latrobe Valley and will close in the coming years.
Martin Cameron reaffirmed the Coalition's commitment to keeping coal-fired power stations going.
Retirement plans are on track
Loy Yang A will retire in 2035 as planned.
There is no firm date for the closure of the Loy Yang B plant.
The Yallourn power station will retire at the end of June 2028.
EnergyAustralia is developing plans for the Yallourn Energy Security Precinct.
A 350MW battery is under construction and will start operating in 2027.
A Victorian government spokesperson said renewable energy is the most cost-effective way to replace coal plants.
The government's plan is delivering cheaper renewable energy for Victorians.
The system is ready for Yallourn's closure in 2028.
Coal power dropped last year
Victoria exceeded its 2025 renewable energy target.
Brown coal-fired generation dropped to all-time lows in the last quarter of the year.
Professor Bruce Mountain said there is no prospect of coal-powered plants closing sooner than expected.
The Victorian government contracted with Energy Australia to possibly extend the operation of the plant after 2028.
Bruce Mountain says coal plants could remain open longer.
The planned closure of the Yallourn plant in 2028 is likely to be accommodated by the market.
The subsequent closure of the Loy Yang plants in the next five years is problematic.
Environment Victoria's Joy Toose said the Coalition's pledge is doubling down on aging infrastructure.
A quarter of Victoria's coal capacity was offline last summer, spiking electricity prices.
Renewable energy is already the cheapest power in the system.
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