Coal- fired plant vital for our future energy security

THE ongoing furore over the soaring cost of power for those of us in North Queensland has attracted heated commentary, inspired by a mix of economic illiteracy, political posturing and green ideology which has no place at all in the energy tent of best solutions.

Chief scientist Alan Finkel’s report, the Clean Energy Target, has been handed to the Federal Government, adding another layer of support regulation, expanding on the existing Renewable Energy Target ( RET).

This so called technology- neutral plan offers hope to other energy options like gas and especially ultra/ supercritical coal- fired power plants and CCS technology, which to date is costly.

Despite business groups’ thumbs up and cautious support from the National Party leadership, it would seem the sting in the tail is that the implementation of a low emissions target will push up renewable market share to 70 per cent, good news for green groups.

The Adani mine go- ahead looks certain to eventuate, welcome news in the North for many despite a tidal wave of naysaying from chanting reef doomsayers, who brook no humane pessimistic/ logical middle of the road economic approach to combating socalled global warming. ALP’s Jackie Trad’s SEQ 50- year infrastructure plan 2016 clearly anoints south of Noosa as the economic/ cultural hub of Queensland, the North barely mentioned.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt and Energy Minister Mark Bailey, with a keen eye on the polls, have agreed that the Greens/ ALP’s maniacal pursuit of its absurd, heavily taxpayer subsidised 50 per cent RET coupled with the failure for years of the national energy market have resulted in a Queensland wholesale energy price spiking to $ 95/ MWh for businesses. This cannot be sustained.

Sadly, reopening of the south’s Stanwell plant will do nothing for us in the North, transmission inefficiencies via the tyranny of distance the destroyer.

It is patently obvious that a taxpayer subsidised 50 per cent RET is this George St ALP’s determined plan for North Queensland when the Premier and her green energy minister constantly market their view of the North as “my government’s green hub”.

It is sensible and even more so economically imperative for a 1000MW ultra supercritical HELE coal- fired plant to be built in the North as part of any sensible and cost- effective energy security plan to drive the region’s growth.

Failure to recognise this is an unjust disservice to all North Queenslanders. PETER J. SMITH,

Rosslea.