CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said WA had fallen behind other states, with just 25% renewable energy generation. He said the current review by Synergy into new gas-fired power generation should be made public and open to scrutiny.
“With the imminent closure of the Muja power station in Collie, it’s clear we need replacement energy sources, but to replace coal with fossil gas would be one of the largest climate failures of our generation – it's a chance to get things right that we won’t get again,” Mr Roberts said.
“Current and future energy shortages could be avoided if the state government prioritised renewable energy projects.
“WA has no shortage of sunshine and wind; we’re perfectly placed to lead the world in the transition to clean, cheap renewable energy. Instead, this would see us double down on fossil gas and fall behind on the rollout of large-scale renewable projects.
Following an unprecedented fire season in the South West, we are reminded that decarbonisation is not just a ‘nice to have’, it is essential to limit the worst climate change scenarios.
“Replacing coal with fossil gas would be a huge climate failure by the WA Labor government. The clean energy transition needs to be fast and fair and a setting a Renewable Energy Target for our state would be a critical first step.
"WA is a national leader in rooftop solar, and we’ve seen a significant amount of electricity generation from it during the peak summer days. We’ve also seen good progress from the state government on batteries for storage.
“While this is a huge achievement, we must do more to ensure that it is renewable electricity generation and storage that replaces coal, not climate polluting gas.”
Mr Roberts said gas was increasingly expensive and slow to roll out. He said that in 2025, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) released a new report highlighting timeframes for delivery varied between 5 – 7 years, with capital costs of USD$2,400/kW today.
“The CSIRO 2024-2025 GenCost report showed clearly that batteries and renewable costs are declining, while coal, gas and nuclear are increasing. The choice is clear that our safe, clean and affordable energy future is renewable,” he said.
“The decisions the government makes today on energy will have huge implications for the state and the community.”
“West Australians clearly want renewables, with a poll released in October last year showing that 74% of respondents supported a government-led renewable energy target and 61% preferred solar and wind power backed by batteries.”
Mr Roberts said even more ambitious outcomes being achieved in energy transition in other states and territories provided a clear road map for the WA government and industry.
“Right now, WA is the only state without a 2030 emissions reduction or renewable energy target, and we’re the only state with increasing rates of climate pollution since 2005,” he said.
“Locking in more gas would set us further back and undermine our contribution to emissions reduction both here and overseas. West Australians deserve clean and affordable energy that supports climate, nature, and communities.
“Renewable energy is our opportunity to rewrite the rules as a community moving into the future, and make our energy mix work for us and better protect and preserve the places we love.”
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780