“This is a sensible and pragmatic plan built on economics and engineering, not ideology.
“It will meet Queensland’s energy needs and is good news for tens of thousands of Queensland jobs, communities, the system and consumers – it also provides investment certainty to private sector gas and renewables investors.”
Confirmation of the energy source extension was ridiculed by conservation groups and welcomed by the coal industry.
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Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman accused the government of pandering to “fossil fuel loving party members and donors”, and said the plan was illogical given the ageing infrastructure of some assets – specifically the notorious stations at Callide in Central Queensland.
“The Queensland LNP’s moves to axe renewable energy and storage projects, bank on expensive gas and keep Queenslanders chained to failing coal power stations is a recipe for higher power bills and less reliable energy,” he said.
“Queensland’s coal power stations are increasingly unreliable as they age. They were offline a staggering 78 times over the last summer period because they keep breaking down.”
But industry lobby Coal Australia said the announcement supported its view that coal was the cheapest and most reliable source of energy, “and recognises the huge leaps in clean coal technology”.
“This decision of the Queensland government ensures it has all the flexibility it needs to keep the Queensland economy strong by extending the life of government-owned generators for as long as necessary based on demand and the power station’s structural integrity and economic viability,” Coal Australia chief executive Stuart Bocking said.
Coal Australia said global demand for coal reached an all-time high in 2024, with the International Energy Agency forecasting an even higher demand in 2025.