One of Australia’s top energy officials says the nation’s electricity supply would continue undisrupted if the coal industry shut down within 30 years - in contradiction to the Morrison government’s warning of widespread blackouts if coal was to be phased out.
Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Audrey Zibelman says green energy, storage and gas will be the most economical way to replace electricity capacity lost when ageing coal plants close.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, reported a radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including a phase-out of coal by 2050, is required to avoid the most devastating climate change impacts.