The life of Eraring Power Station at Lake Macquarie is now even closer to being extended, with the NSW Government unveiling it’s plans for it.
The state will engage with the owners of the coal-fired power station, Origin, for a temporary extension of its operating life, which is one of 54 recommendations from the O’Reilly report into the state’s energy situation.
Origin announced last year that it planned to close Eraring in August 2025 and cited a $250 million cost to keep it open any longer.
NSW Energy Minister says at this stage, the cost of an extension is not yet known.
“I know everyone wants to put a figure on it but that is not where we are at.
“We accept the recommendations from Cameron [O’Reilly] and from the indications given from the most recent AEMO report that there are reliability risks with Eraring exiting early.
“That is why we are going to talk to Eraring and talk about what the options are. I can’t give you a time and I can’t give you a cost, but what I can tell you is I don’t want tax payers to pay one cent more than they need to and I don’t want Eraring to be open one minute more than it needs to,” Ms Sharpe said.
Australia’s energy authority last week issued a warning of possible blackouts over Summer, stemming from the closure of coal-fired power stations, including Eraring.
AEMO released its latest predictions, showing their planned closure is putting pressure on the transition to renewable’s, which is not keeping up with demand.