Renewables not cheaper, AEMO boss admits

Renewables not cheaper, AEMO boss admits

It’s now official: renewables are not cheaper.

Despite years of promises from governments that the transition to renewables would bring down power bills, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) chief executive Daniel Westerman has finally admitted he cannot guarantee lower energy costs.

During a Senate inquiry this week, when asked directly if the transition would deliver cheaper electricity, Westerman stated, “I can’t guarantee that, no.”

This frank admission exposes the reality that despite all the rhetoric, the renewable energy path is not the road to affordable energy Australian households have been promised.

Both the Labor and Coalition governments have pushed net zero policies, with the Coalition, when in power, also backing the rollout and subsidy of windmills and solar panels.

Yet these technologies have consistently failed to provide reliable or cheap energy.

The Coalition may now be turning to nuclear as an alternative, but it’s important to remember that their support for renewables and net zero during their time in government contributed to the higher costs Australians are now facing.

Family First has long sounded the alarm on net zero, not only because of concerns about affordability but also due to the unreliability of renewables.

In his address to the Family First National Conference, Party Chairman Tom Kenyon pointed out the inherent problems with relying on wind and solar: they simply don’t work when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining.

This unreliability forces the need for expensive backup options like batteries and gas, adding to the already high cost of building renewable infrastructure.

The Albanese government’s energy plan, endorsed by AEMO, promises that renewables, combined with batteries and gas, are the “lowest cost pathway” to replace coal. However, even Westerman has admitted this plan does not guarantee cheaper bills for consumers.

He conceded that while renewables might be the lowest cost from a system-wide perspective (and this is debatable), it doesn't necessarily make energy cheaper for households.

"The integrated system plan…doesn’t refer to whether it’s cheaper or more expensive for that wholesale component," he said.

Senator Matt Canavan has been vocal in questioning the government’s energy transition, pointing out that Australians were sold a false promise.

"Australians were promised lower power bills, but where’s the evidence?" Canavan asked, underlining the growing disillusionment with the renewable agenda.

Canavan has been a voice in the wilderness as his party put Scott Morrison on the plane to Glasgow in 2021 to sign Australia up to unachievable globalist net zero goals.

Family First has been consistent in its opposition to net zero policies, recognising early on the financial and reliability risks.

Now that these risks are becoming evident, it’s time for a serious rethink of Australia’s energy future.

The fantasy of cheap renewables has been shattered, and it’s Australian households paying the price.