'Facts can no longer be concealed': Labor's renewables push undermined by CSIRO report proving coal is 'king', energy expert claims

Sky News AU

a day ago

Labor's claims about renewable energy appear to have been undermined in a new CSIRO report, with the Centre for Independent Studies' energy expert Aidan Morrison confident coal was still the "king" of cheap power.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Morrison refuted Labor's claims renewable energy was the best path forward and said the CSIRO's 'own numbers' in its recent GenCost report showed coal was cheaper than firmed integrated renewables.
In the report, black coal cost $111 per megawatt hour at the lowest end of annual forecasts while backed-up wind and solar was $116 MWh under the cheapest model.
Last year's report had black coal in second place at $107 MWh compared to firmed renewables, which were in first place at $97 MWh.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen, however, said the CSIRO report showed renewables, backed by batteries and transmission, was the cheapest form of energy.
'Much cheaper than nuclear and the Liberal Party remains committed to nuclear, the most expensive form of the energy, rejected by the Australian people,' he said.
Mr Morrison said the headline from the GenCost report should be: 'Coal is the king of low cost energy'.
'CSIRO's own numbers in this report actually say that coal is now cheaper to build than firmed integrated renewables,' he said.
Mr Morrison claimed the CSIRO demonstrated coal was now the cheapest form of electricity for consumers, but had 'bent over backwards' to conceal the truth.
'In particular, the estimation for the cost of firm renewables, that is providing all the gas and the transmission and the storage to make that intermittent feast and famine energy into reliable electricity,' he said.
'Last time they told us that that was between $42 and $48. This time they're saying it's between $48 and $64. There is literally no overlap between draft and final between those two different estimates for how much it costs to firm renewables."
Mr Morrison said the CSIRO had 'moved the goalposts' by adding 'caveat words' to its website such as 'low-carbon electricity', referring to renewables.
'They are literally shifting the goal posts in front of our eyes when they are no longer able, in their own analysis, to sustain the argument… that renewables are not just environmentally virtuous but also economically virtuous,' he said.
'The facts can no longer be concealed.'
Mr Morrison said the CSIRO's report could not be 'taken seriously'.
Earlier on Tuesday, the CSIRO refused to reveal its modelling on the cost of the renewable energy transition, sparking transparency concerns over the Albanese government's push for net zero.
Among those voicing their concerns was shadow energy minister Dan Tehan, who pointed to the final GenCost report released by the CSIRO in which it said the modelling on its renewable integration costs was 'not suitable for general release'.
Mr Tehan said the government needed to release the information given its broken $275 power bill reduction promise.
'Why? This is our leading scientific organisation and it will not release the modelling on these costs they are putting forward,' Mr Tehan said.
'Nothing in this report goes to that fact. As a matter of fact, all we see now is our leading scientific organisations saying they cannot release that model. Well, I think the government needs to explain why.
'The cost is being hidden by this government.'