IT was inevitable that the NSW government would finally have to sit down with the owners of Eraring coal-fired power station to extend its operation to keep the lights on. Similar deals have been used in Victoria.
Governments are giving subsidies to people to help pay their electricity bills, and now in NSW we will be subsidising electricity generators to supply electricity. By any rational reasoning Eraring's closure will lead to blackouts, so I would like to be in Eraring owner's corner at the negotiating table. Not only are governments subsidising intermittent renewables, they are subsidising 24/7 reliable suppliers - all with our money. What a political and bureaucratic disgrace.
