Malcolm Turnbull criticises state governments for 'unrealistic' emissions targets over energy security

Updated

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticised the state Labor governments, saying they have prioritised lower emissions over energy security, following a state-wide blackout in South Australia yesterday.

South Australia's entire power supply was cut off when wild weather toppled dozens of transmission towers and tripped the interconnector with Victoria.

Mr Turnbull said measures targeting lower emissions had to be consistent with energy security.

He told reporters in Tasmania this morning that intermittent renewable energy sources posed a "real threat" for energy security.

"Energy security should always be the key priority ... whether it is hydro, wind, solar, coal or gas," he said.

"A number of the state Labor Governments have over the years set priorities and renewable targets that are extremely aggressive, extremely unrealistic, and have paid little or no attention to energy security."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten criticised the comments, accusing the Coalition of "playing politics with what is a natural disaster".

Mr Shorten said there was no link between the storm damage and the state's renewable energy target.

"If they want to play the blame game, surely isn't it appropriate to wait until all the houses have their power back on?" he said.

"The fact that we've had a one in 50-year storm is not due to renewable energy, it's due to the weather.

"This government will do anything to politicise an issue, a disaster."

Concern raised over renewable energy

Mr Turnbull said he had spoken with Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg about negotiating with his state counterparts to move towards a national renewables target instead of "political gamesmanship" between states.

Mr Frydenberg also addressed media at a separate event, saying that he hoped to meet with his state counterparts in coming days.

He said the weather led to the "cascading effect" which caused the power outage, but also raised concerns over the security and stability of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 40 per cent of South Australia's power.

"That type of renewable energy is intermittent, meaning when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining, power is not being generated," he said.

"This creates issues for the stability of the system because of the level of frequency that is generated and these are issues that COAG are currently looking at."

Experts have dismissed suggestions a reliance on renewable energy was to blame for the outage, following comments from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who said the blackout in South Australia should prompt questions about the state's reliance on renewable energy.

Mr Joyce told the ABC that "the question has to be asked — is the over-reliance on renewable energy exacerbating their problems and capacity to have a secure power supply?"

Greens MP Adam Bandt said his party would move for an inquiry into the effects of global warming on infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure.

South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon also called for an independent inquiry into the power outage, saying "heads have to roll".

His comments were criticised by fellow South Australian Penny Wong, who told the ABC that Senator Xenophon "crossed the line jumping on television to have a crack".

"It was alarmist and frankly it was tacky," she said.

Topics: government-and-politics, federal---state-issues, environment, alternative-energy, australia

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