Green Groups Slam Energy Planners for Ignoring Demand Management

Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:00

"Forcing tax-payers to fork out $10 billion for new generation for a few peak demand days each year is gross economic stupidity when smarter, cheaper solutions are ready to go," said Jeff Angel, Director of Total Environment Centre (TEC).

"The Government's own studies have confirmed that Demand Management is the way forward. Demand can be easily reduced by energy efficiency programmes if government and industry have the will to make them happen. This will also reduce greenhouse pollution."

"Distributors in NSW have proposed spending about $1 billion per year on expanding their networks, yet plan to spend only $3 million on Demand Management. When investment in DM has been shown to be extremely cost-effective, this just doesn't make economic sense."

"Environmentally and economically corrupt policies keep pushing coal when better solutions are available. Two new gas co-generation plants are ready to go but subsidies to coal and the captured transmission sector are stopping them. The peak environment groups reject coal-fired, band-aid solutions, along with the proposed Redbank 2 power station."

"Energy planners and government need to lead the way to reduce Australia's excessive share of greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity makes up almost 50% of emissions because of our heavy reliance on coal and our failure to adopt Demand Management."

"New generation cannot be installed in time to meet forecast demand, so Demand Management is the obvious solution."
 

For further information

Contact
:
Jeff Angel
Phone
:
61 2 9299 5599
Email
:
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WWW
:
http://www.tec.org.au/