The Federal Government has today approved the unnecessary and polluting Kurri Kurri gas-fired power station, despite sustained objections from climate scientists, energy experts and the community.

The Morrison government will spend up to $600 million of public money on the Kurri Kurri power station, even though it makes no commercial sense. Last spring, gas power stations produced just 1.3 percent of New South Wales’s power, the lowest level this century.

Climate Councillor, energy expert and Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University, School of Law, Dr Madeline Taylor said: 

“The Kurri Kurri gas power station simply isn’t needed. Energy analysts and economists agree it will raise electricity prices for residents and businesses, not lower them.”

“As renewable energy and storage technologies become cheaper by the day, this short-sighted investment in a new gas-fired power station, built with taxpayer money, makes no sense from an energy or economic perspective, and will likely end up as a stranded asset.

 “We need a total transformation of our electricity system based on renewables and storage technologies. Gas for electricity generation is often expensive, inefficient, and not commercially viable. At a time when the world is turning away from gas-fired electricity and embracing renewables, Australia could rapidly decarbonise and become a renewable energy superpower, but instead, public money is being funneled into a project potentially representing a liability to our clean energy future.”

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