Taylor Called Out On Electricity Cost Claim

Electricity prices have been a very touchy subject during the lead-up to past federal elections – and this one is turning out to be no different.

In December last year, Anthony Albanese unveiled Labor’s Powering Australia plan, part of which involves shared solar “banks” and community batteries. Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen has already been busy pledging batteries to various communities.

But the most important and costly element of the plan is “Rewiring The Nation” – an electricity grid infrastructure upgrade blitz addressing transmission issues to allow for more renewables and drive down power prices.

Labor said its Powering Australia Plan will spur $76 billion of investment, create more than 600,000 new jobs and slash power bills for businesses and households; the latter by $275 annually by 2025 and $378 a year by 2030.

Taylor – Electricity Prices Jump Under Labor

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor was on the airwaves yesterday morning saying this isn’t so. When asked by 2GB’s Ben Fordham what government modelling of Labor’s plan shows, Minister Taylor said:

“It shows prices across the East Coast, the National Electricity Market, would go up by $560 a year within a decade.”

That modelling is yet to be seen and there are questions as to its nature – or even its existence.

Albanese – Proposals Stack Up

Commenting on Minister Taylor’s claim, Anthony Albanese stated during a doorstop interview at the premises of electric vehicle DC fast charger manufacturer Tritium:

“We did the hard work in the lead-up to the announcement of our policy on the first Friday in December last year … We did the modelling through RepuTex, Australia’s leading energy economists. Our proposals stack up.”

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers really went to town on Minister Taylor.

“Now, Angus Taylor has been forced into another absolutely humiliating admission today that the numbers he cooked up and put in the papers are complete and utter rubbish,” he said. “Angus Taylor has added fuel to the bin fire of lies that this Government tells about renewable energy. These are dodgy numbers from a dodgy Minister in a dodgy Government.”

.. and he didn’t stop there.

Separately, Chris Bowen quipped:

“Prawns in the sun last longer than this scare campaign.”

But regardless of which party emerges victorious after Australians go to the polls on May 21, electricity prices look set to rise for many Australians this year and possibly over the next couple of financial years. But on the flip side, so should solar feed-in tariffs. This is due to increases in wholesale electricity costs that were already occurring before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the effects of which are still yet to be fully felt in relation to gas.

If environmental policies and how they relate to energy are important to you in this election, stay tuned for an in-depth article from SQ’s Ronald next week looking at how the major parties stack up. It won’t just be informative, but probably the most entertaining comparison you’ll read this election. While very serious and complex issues, a bit of levity never goes astray.

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Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/labor-taylor-electricity-mb2441/