ELECTRICITY debates spiked in all directions on Thursday as debate raged over clean coal, gas extraction, and the role of renewables.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, in Adelaide, said the Government was “agnostic” about the technology needed to deliver reliable, affordable electricity while meeting emissions targets.
While he and other ministers have been talking up “clean coal”, Mr Frydenberg also spruiked fracking, putting him at odds with State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall.
Mr Marshall announced a 10-year moratorium on fracking, or unconventional gas extraction, in the South-East after effective lobbying from interest groups. But Mr Frydenberg said gas meant jobs and pointed out that Mr Marshall was in favour of fracking in the Cooper Basin.
“We don’t want any more moratoriums or bans… whether they’re in SA, Victoria, NT or Tasmania,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“What we do want is more gas extraction because that can lead to more jobs.”
Mr Frydenberg was visiting lobster exporters Ferguson Australia in Hendon; the company has seen its power prices double and would lose a million dollars in lobsters if the power went out and their generator failed. They upgraded the site after last year’s statewide blackout.
Gas and “clean coal” developed in a partnership between industry and government were part of the solution to SA’s energy woes, Mr Frydenberg said.
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