Liddell Power Station

350.org applauded the decision by AGL’s board today to refuse a buyout offer from Alinta and Chow Tai Fook to buy the aging Liddell coal-fired power station for A$250 million and close the station as planned by 2022, saying it sends a strong message that it’s time to move on from coal to less expensive and less polluting renewable alternatives.

“The AGL board’s decision to say no to a buyout is a win for our climate and sends a strong market signal that it’s time to close down aging and highly polluting coal power and take up more affordable clean energy and storage solutions,” said 350.org’s Blair Palese.

“AGL has stood strong against absurd government pressure — from Tony Abbott in particular — that we can ignore our global climate change commitments and continue to prop up polluting coal while the world rapidly moves to cleaner, cheaper and more climate-safe alternatives,” Palese said. “Make no mistake, AGL’s decision is a market-based decision because the company — unlike the government — can’t ignore that renewable energy is already cheaper than new coal, let alone a coal plant well past its use-by date.”

The Liddell power station emitted 7.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2015-16 and is a major contributor to national emissions. In March, the Department of the Environment and Energy’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory report showed that Australia’s greenhouse gas pollution levels have increased by 0.8% (without land use change and forestry) over the year to September 2017, demonstrating that the Australian Federal Government has no plan for how we will meet our Paris emission reductions targets.”

“It’s time the Government gets out of the way of companies already making the right decisions about moving to renewable energy and that it actually supports them, investors and state and local governments with a national real climate and energy transition strategy,” Palese said. “AGL is leading far ahead of the government with its Liddell shutdown plans and we congratulate CEO Andy Vesey for staying the right course for the company and Australia.”

For interviews contact: Blair Palese on 0414 659 511, blair@350.org

For media assistance contact: Louise Fraser on 0438 993 068, lou@350.org.au.