There are warnings of more energy shortages in Eastern Australia today as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese holds an emergency meeting to resolve the energy crisis.
The Australian energy market operator (AEMO) has warned that Queensland should expect another minor shortage between 5pm and 10.30pm.
But the Queensland government has assured residents today that the state has an additional supply, if it needs it, especially when peak demand arrives tonight.
The energy regulator has warned of more energy shortages to date as the energy crisis continues. (AAP)
Victoria and New South Wales should also expect system failures later today, the AEMO said.
The regulator urged NSW residents, especially Sydney residents, to limit energy use.
“To minimize system stress, AEMO is urging consumers in New South Wales to temporarily reduce their energy use, when it is safe to do so,” the regulator tweeted last night.
At a press conference alongside Albanese today, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the biggest pressure would be on NSW between 18:00 and 20:00 AEST.
“AEMO and (NSW Treasurer Matt Kean) have asked people not to turn off anything essential, anything that is needed for heating. But if you have a choice about when to run certain items, don’t use them from 6pm to 6pm. At 8pm, “he said.
He said he was confident that blackouts would still be avoided.
There are also concerns that South Australia may be experiencing shortages. The state government is threatening to shut down energy exports outside the state if blackouts occur.
Albanese and Bowen will meet with industry leaders later today to try to resolve the crisis.
Bowen said New South Wales is the tightest state in terms of electricity supply today.
“Basically it’s a problem caused by the shutdowns and disruptions of coal-fired power plants,” he said.
“We need new investment.”
The states affected by the energy crisis in Australia. (new)
He supported the energy regulator taking control of the market.
“It wouldn’t be a universally popular movement,” Bowen said.
“Put consumers first.”
Albanese said renewables remained the long-term solution, criticizing previous governments for putting politics ahead of politics.
“The cheapest form of new energy is clean energy, where it is being invested, but it has not been fed into the grid because the transmission system is not 21st century,” he said.
“Meanwhile, aged coal-fired power plants have been more susceptible to disruptions and disruptions because they are old. We know this is the case.”
Yesterday, the AEMO stopped the electricity market in a drastic intervention, as the country’s electricity supply is facing “very difficult times”.
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The unprecedented move means that the usual bidding and supply process between generators and retailers has been suspended in the National Electricity Market (NEM), which includes all states and territories in Australia except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.