Another failure to deliver the plan for energy is another plan to fail
Response to today’s media statement from the Minister for Energy
The Shadow Minister for Energy Dr Steve Thomas says Amber-Jade Sanderson has for the second week in a row failed to the deliver an adequate plan for energy.
“Today the Minister for Energy is calling for expressions of interest for generation in the Pilbara before outlining all of the details of the Pilbara Energy Transition Plan or the $3 billion federal Rewiring the Nation funding available for the North West” Dr Thomas said.
The Pilbara is serviced by the North West Interconnected System (NWIS) which provides energy for the Pilbara including Port Hedland, Karratha and mining and industry in the region.
“Two weeks in a row now the State Government has been caught out failing to plan properly for our energy needs of the future” Dr Thomas said.
“Last week in an embarrassing backflip the Whole of System Plan for the South West Interconnected System was delayed for another two years.
“Today the Minister has called for expressions of interest to power the NWIS without an adequate and comprehensive plan being in place there either.
“This ad-hoc management is especially galling when the Federal Government has already committed $3 billion to the North West under the Rewiring the Nation fund but the State Labor Government and Minister Sanderson can’t tell us where that money will go.
“That $3 billion is sitting around and not yet credited to specific projects because the WA Labor Government has been unable to present a credible plan for common user infrastructure for the NWIS.
“Surely potential energy generators in the Pilbara need to know what the future network looks like, especially in the renewable energy sector” Dr Thomas said.
“According to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation the WA State Government is “taking a strong lead over” the roll out of the $3 billion, but while the State is actively talking to about four project proponents no real funding has been delivered to date in the Pilbara.
“$4.7 billion was delivered to projects in the eastern states last financial year alone.
“This State Government’s failure to adequately progress planning for the North West has meant the private sector is considering building its own transmission lines instead of waiting for the State and Commonwealth to get their acts together” Dr Thomas said.
