Victoria's energy workers and wider population deserve a frank and realistic assessment of the future of state's energy generation, the Mining and Energy Union has said today.
The cancellation of Gippsland Dawn, BlueFloat Energy's advanced offshore wind project, has raised fresh concerns about Victoria's energy security against the scheduled closures of coal-fired power stations Yallourn and Loy Yang A.
Additionally, revelations about secret agreements between the government and power station operators managed by EY Parthenon have cast doubt on the transparency of the state's contingency plans, if any are in place.
Mining and Energy Union Victorian District President Andy Smith said it was now time for the state government to come forward with a practical and realistic plan to manage Victoria's energy mix into the 2030s and beyond.
"On any given day, coal-fired power accounts for 60% of Victoria's energy mix" Smith said.
"Yallourn is scheduled to close in 2028, and there are now no realistic plans in place to plug the gap that's going to create in our energy market.
"If the lifespan of Yallourn needs to be extended, as is looking increasingly likely, it's time for the Allan government to come clean.
"The Victorian public, and in particular the workers at Yallourn, have a right to know – even if the facts are inconvenient for the government.
"Any agreement struck between the government and power station operators should include significant consultation with affected workers, whose lives are set to be upended in as little as two years."
