Chris Uhlmann slams renewable energy targets, saying ‘great lie' of government energy agendas ‘has to be exposed'
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio has admitted the full cost of a multibillion-dollar renewable energy plan to be rolled out by the state government is not yet known.
When asked whether the $4.3 billion figure for the plan detailed last month could actually be closer to $20 billion, the Minister remained tight-lipped over the cost and how energy prices could be affected, the Australian Financial Review reported.
'This is not about being dishonest, if that's what you're implying,' Ms D'Ambrosio said on Friday, according to the AFR.
'If we don't build transmission, I can tell you what happens. People's lights go out and power prices will go through the roof.
'People need to understand that transmission is an investment that facilitates the build of replacement electricity.'
Speaking to Sky News host Peta Credlin on Monday evening, Mr Uhlmann took aim at renewable energy agendas in the face of the controversial Victorian government plan.
'We've seen it around the world Peta, everywhere you put in large-scale deployment of wind and solar, two things happen: the grid becomes more fragile and electricity prices soar,' he said.
'I see Lily D'Ambrosio saying that it's not going to be $20 billion, but can't say how much it's going to be, and of course, those transmission lines that she's left out of the equation probably come to around about $16 billion. So what do we know about that? We know that 9 per cent of your electricity bill is the transmission costs.'
Mr Uhlmann then pointed to the federal Labor government's renewables policy, which has also drawn has drawn heavy criticism over significant project costs.
'It's interesting now that the federal Labour Party has stopped saying that people's electricity bills will go down,' he said.
'The great lie in all of this has to be exposed and that is it will be neither greener nor cheaper and the system will certainly be more fragile.
'That's the energy future which is on offer because of the policy decisions of state and federal governments.'
The Victorian government VicGrid body's 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan includes proposed onshore renewable energy zones, which have been identified as suitable to host renewable energy projects.
"The Victorian Transmission Plan is necessary to keep the lights on and keep energy costs affordable as Victoria's coal-fired power stations close," a state government statement on the plan's draft announcement said.
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