A new poll commissioned by the Climate Council shows that 7 out of 10 people disagree with the Government’s stance to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station open costing nearly $1 billion.

DOWNLOAD THE RESULTS

The Liddell Power Station is Australia’s oldest coal-fired power station. In 2015, the owners, AGL, announced plans to retire the station in 2022 and replace the shortfall with renewables and gas, combined with energy storage, as it is cheaper to produce. The Federal Government has intervened in the decision saying AGL should patch up the power station at a cost of almost $1 billion.

KEY FINDINGS:

1. 7 out of 10 people disagree with the Government’s stance to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station open costing nearly $1 billion. When asked what should happen to the power station after its closure in 2022, across Australia, 77% said public money should not be used to keep it open.
2. The most popular solution to the Liddell situation, chosen by 59% of people, was to introduce a Clean Energy Target policy to encourage new renewable energy to replace the power station.
3. Australians want to replace coal power stations with renewables. Based on the fact that new coal-fired power stations are twice as costly as wind – and more expensive than solar, two thirds of Australians (66%) said coal-fired power stations should be replaced with renewables.
4. Investment in costly fossil fuel powered energy is creating anxiety. Most people polled (54%) say they will have to cut their household budget back (across groceries, holidays and entertainment) if energy prices continue to rise due to investment in higher cost energy, such as coal and gas.

The Climate Council commissioned ReachTEL to conduct a national survey of Australians in order to better understand their views on the Liddell power station. ReachTEL conducted the survey of 2,176 residents across Australia on 20th September 2017.