Latest News
Eraring power station to stay open until 2027, May 23 2024, Newcastle Herald
Confidential documents show why Eraring Power Station's life was extended, August 6 2024, Newcastle Herald
Origin Energy eyes gas imports, longer life for Eraring, August 15 2024, Newcastle Herald
Eraring power station to stay open until 2027
May 27, Newcastle Herald
"The NSW Government has shown enough leniency to coal companies and this huge taxpayer handout for Eraring will prolong the ill effects of coal ash waste dumping and toxic stack emissions impacting community health, the lake ecosystem and our climate," - Jo Lynch, HCEC
It is not a good policy to throw more public money at the fossil fuel industry. Let's give our community, workers and the environment a better chance for the future. Let's clean up the exposed ash dams and focus on investment in renewable energy". - Lyn Fraser, Coal-ash Community Alliance
Archive
Eraring extension may burn a big hole in Australia’s biggest renewable energy tender, Renew Economy
Australia's largest coal-fired power plant Eraring in Lake Macquarie to stay open for two extra years, ABC
Closure of Australia's largest coal-fired power station to be delayed by two years, 9News
Eraring clunker deal may do little to keep the lights on, but it might bail out the state government, Renew Economy
Origin and NSW Government agree to delay closure of Eraring Power Station, Media Release, 23 MAY 2024
2023
Ensuring the orderly phase out of coal during the NSW transition to renewables, NSW Gov
Eraring should remain open beyond 2025: Minns government energy review, SMH
Environment groups losing faith with NSW government after coal call, SMH
Poll: Majority of NSW residents what investment in renewables not Eraring extension, NatureNSW
Call to close Eraring power station in 2025 over health concerns, Coast Community News
Kean questions need for Eraring bailout, AFR
NSW to announce life extension of Eraring, Australia’s largest coal-fired power station, Guardian Australia
Even rival coal generators don’t want long term extension to Eraring coal plant, Renew Economy
Closing Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station would leave NSW exposed to risk of blackouts – Aemo, Guardian Australia
Statement from the Clean Energy Council on reliability gap forecast
Extending life of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station is ‘deeply disappointing’, green groups say, Guardian Australia
In 2013, Origin Energy acquired the Eraring power station during the controversial privatization of NSW electricity generation assets.
In 2022, Origin announced it would retire the Eraring power station ahead of schedule in August of 2025.
In 2023, speculation arose that a NSW Government funded life extension may be granted to Origin Energy to keep Eraring running beyond 2025.
What does the extension of Eraring mean for the Hunter community?
Prolong adverse environmental & community health impacts from toxic air & water pollution
Stack emissions from coal power deliver fine particulate pollution to our airways and our lungs, linked to lowered birth-weight in newborns and early mortality due to increased respiratory illness.
Just last month, mercury pollution from Eraring stacks’ was reported to have risen by 130% in 12 months, and fine particulates linked to cancer by 88%.
Slow climate action by undermining NSW legislated carbon reduction targets
When Origin announced in 2022 that it would retire Eraring early in 2025, it was estimated that this would save almost 90 million tonnes of carbon pollution.
In November 2023, the NSW Government passed the the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Bill which legislated 70% emissions reduction by 2035.
NSW is currently predicted to fall short of these targets, and the extension of Eraring means that will lock in taxpayer funded climate pollution from NSW largest coal generator.
Energy experts say that a delay to the closure of Eraring also has potential to scare off or slow investment in renewable projects in the Hunter.
Waste yet more public money propping up expensive coal power
It is speculated that Origin Energy could receive a 2-4 year, $150m annual subsidy to continue polluting the climate and environment, whilst charging the public big bucks on our energy bills.
Energy analysts and experts assert that the extension of Eraring beyond 2025 to meet energy security needs is not necessary, and that an equivalent investment into the rapid deployment of renewable energy projects would avoid the potential energy short fall used to justify propping up coal with public money.
Residents of Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast living with the daily pollution burden of coal power are against the extension of Eraring due these impacts on their own health, the degradation of the Lake Macquarie estuary’s ecosystem and the climate.
Local groups including the Coal-ash Community Alliance have been campaigning against the excessive pollution impacts of coal power and calling for the removal and safe recycling of coal-ash waste into a range of sustainable products, including lightweight aggregates which could significantly reduce the carbon emissions from the cement sector.
In Victoria’s coal power region, a plant to extract critical minerals from ash waste has been announced. Unfortunately for the lake, after Origin acquired Eraring in 2015, a fully-fledged proposal to reuse 100% of its coal-ash waste was shelved, diverting more heavy metal pollution into the estuary.