Turnbull finds way to cut bills, emissions
The prime minister will tell coalition colleagues the government can reach its emissions target and push down power prices.
The Turnbull government is set to release the final piece of the energy policy puzzle, which will meet Australia's Paris agreement emissions target
while saving households more than $90 a year.
Coalition MPs will be briefed on the scheme at a meeting in Canberra on Tuesday following cabinet's decision to reject a clean energy target as recommended by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel.
Instead, it has backed an idea from the new independent Energy Security Board.
The head of the coalition's backbench energy committee, Craig Kelly, was briefed on the new approach after Monday night's meeting, welcoming the focus on dispatchable switch on/switch-off power.
"
The problem with solar and wind, as wonderful technologies as they are, when there is no wind you get no electricity generation and as soon as the sun sets you also get zero electricity generation as well," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"So as good as technologies as they are, you've got to have them backed up in some way and that's either got to be a coal-fired power station, a gas generator or some form of battery."
He defended the idea to ditch the clean energy target, as recommended by Dr Finkel.
"The Finkel report contained 50 recommendations. If we've recommended 49 that's a 98 per cent strike rate," he said.
It is understood economic modelling of the alternative to the clean energy target - expected to be called the National Energy Guarantee - delivered price cuts deeper than under Finkel's mechanism.
The annual benefit from the CET came in at $90 a year for households, while large industrial users were expected to pay about 20 per cent less a year.
At the same time, the modelling showed the new mechanism would enable Australia to achieve its commitment of a 26-28 per cent reduction in 2005 emissions by 2030.
Blackouts would be minimised with power generators and storage providers, such as hydro and batteries, covered by a new "generator reliability obligation", as recommended by Dr Finkel.
Adequate dispatchable power would be required in all regions of Australia to ensure consumer demand is met, with the obligation being met using a variety of technologies.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been under pressure from coalition colleagues to ensure his emissions policy does not push up power bills.
Labor wants the government to commit to a clean energy target.
Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke says the party would prefer not to have a fight over energy policy.
"We want there to be a bipartisan approach to this," he told ABC radio.
Power prices have risen in real terms by 63 per cent during the past decade.
http://www.news.com.au/national/bre...s/news-story/7de2aed84cecebcde774e1011f953a65
