THE SQUIZ
Australia’s oldest coal-fired power station begins its closure today, starting a 10-day process that will ultimately lead to the AGL-owned plant being demolished over the next 2 years. Located near Muswellbrook in NSW’s Hunter Valley, the Liddell Power Station’s demise was telegraphed by the company in 2015 and confirmed in 2017, with 2022 set down as the target closure date due to its age and unreliability. That was extended to this month when the company agreed in 2019 to keep 3 of the 4 turbines in operation following concerns that NSW didn’t have enough reliable power supply to keep the lights/aircon on over the summer just gone.

WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME ABOUT THIS?
Because those in the know say Liddell’s closure is a “historic moment in the Australian energy landscape“… By the numbers, Liddell has been a big power contributor, providing 10% of NSW’s electricity in recent times. One analysis said over its 52 years, it’s generated enough electricity to power NSW for 6.5 years at current consumption rates. But when it comes to carbon emissions, it’s also right up there… AGL says it’s uneconomic and unsustainable to keep the old plant going, and transitioning the site to a renewable energy hub is the right call. But Australia’s electricity generation continues to rely on coal-powered generators for up to 65% of the country’s power needs, with 18 remaining in operation around the country after Liddell’s closure. From a supply side, the regulator isn’t forecasting shortages this year. But on power prices, the regulator says we will likely see our bills rise and fall as more coal-fired plants close and more renewable energy enters the grid.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
In other environmental news, officials are still engaged in the worst Easter hunt of all time to find huge stashes of soft plastics hidden around Australia following the collapse of the REDcycle recycling scheme. Customers at Woolies and Coles thought their returned bags and other plastic that they couldn’t put in their council recycling bins at the REDcycle points were being appropriately dealt with… but instead, around 11,000 tonnes of plastic were bundled up and stored in warehouses, with another massive heap found in Sydney’s Marsden Park yesterday. Coles and Woolies have taken control of the stockpiles and formed the worst supergroup ever – the Soft Plastics Taskforce – to find a new way to recycle the placcy bags.