Statement on NSW Government's Eraring closure announcement

“The NSW Government has demonstrated a strong commitment to the clean energy transition through the NSW Energy Roadmap. We are supportive of the various measures in NSW, including the development of Renewable Energy Zones and the establishment of Long-Term Energy Supply Agreements (LTESAs) to bring on more renewables.

“Today’s announcement of an extension to the Eraring coal generator simply highlights the need to double down on these existing commitments. Eraring’s extension must be backed by measures to integrate new renewable generation and storage into the NSW grid. Yesterday’s announcement of grid connection support for large-scale batteries is one such example.

“Beyond this, the market needs clear signals and support to bring on the new capacity needed to replace ageing coal generators. A rapid transition to renewables firmed by storage is the only way to avoid blackouts and energy price hikes.“We look forward to working further with the NSW Government to accelerate this transition.”