The New South Wales government has revealed the future of Australia’s biggest black coal-fired power station near Newcastle.
The Eraring plant is owned by Origin Energy and was set for closure in August 2025 as the company transitions its focus to alternative energy.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
However, the energy market operator is warning of “reliability gaps” if the plant is shuttered as planned, with energy experts recently questioning whether the company can be closed as scheduled.
A review of the state’s energy transition has recommended the government discuss delaying the closure of Eraring.
In the morning press conference, the NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe has unveiled two big challenges, including reducing emissions to net zero by 2050, and retiring the state’s coal-fired plants “in the next 10 to 15 years”.
“You can’t go anywhere without people talking about the slowness in planning and the challenges that will be addressed,” she said
“We’re looking at streamlining the planning processes that will allow these projects to happen as quickly as possible,” Ms Sharpe said.
She said the renewable energy projects must be completed faster than ever.
“We have no time to waste.”
Despite not mentioning the exact cost of keeping Eraring open past 2025, Ms Sharpe said it was possible Origin could fund the extension itself.
“Origin is saying they have a proposed date of closure. They’ve said they want to speak to the government, and we’ll work from there.”
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.