Clean Coal Spin Hits The Dustbin

Wednesday, 10 August 2011 16:38

TEC applauds the historic step taken by the NSW Government yesterday, which has introduced a bill categorically recognising “there is no such thing as clean coal.”

TEC director Jeff Angel said, “to date governments and the coal industry have used 'clean coal' to con the taxpayer (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars) into thinking that the future will always be coal, but this move by the O'Farrell government throws the spin into the dustbin.”

The bill, which was introduced to the Legislative Assembly by Resources and Energy Minister Christ Hartcher, will rebadge the state's $100 million Clean Coal Fund as the Coal Innovation NSW Fund and rename the Clean Coal Council as Coal Innovation NSW.

“The federal and other state governments should follow the lead of NSW and dump clean coal spin,” said Mr Angel.  “And members of the Liberal, Labor and Green parties should take this opportunity to unite across party lines for the best interests of the Australian people. Then we can then get serious about a low carbon future."

TEC welcomes the commitment by renewable energy parliamentary secretary, Rob Stokes that Australians must "break our reliance on coal” and that it is imperative that we "expand our energy mix to encourage the exploitation of renewable resources as quickly as possible."

The bill was passed with no opposition from Labor or the Greens.