Corporate scare tactics can't rescue Costa's sell-off push

Dr Kaye said: “Patricia Forsythe, spokesperson for the so-called ‘Alliance for NSW Future,’ claims that this state ‘risks running out of electricity’ and  faces ‘a failing grid’.

“This is complete nonsense.

“It’s a crude and ill-informed attempt to panic voters into accepting Treasurer Costa’s sell-off.

“If there really is an emerging shortage of baseload power – and we contest that proposition – it will not show up as a sudden blackouts or rapidly soaring prices.

“The energy auctioning process of the National Electricity Market would result in more expensive gas turbines and other peak load plant being run more frequently.

“This would cause a slow rise in the wholesale price over a number of years, signalling to the market the need for more baseload capacity.

“The increased use of peaking plant would not put the state at risk of either blackouts or rapid fluctuations in price.

“The need for new baseload plant can be delayed almost indefinitely by phasing out electric off-peak water heating and other wasteful uses of overnight energy.

“Patricia Forsythe and her ‘Alliance for NSW Future’ wants this state to throw away the benefits of public ownership of electricity supply on the threat of blackouts that will not happen.

“It is their organisation that is guilty of ‘outdated ideological debates’.

“If the self-appointed representatives of business were serious about securing the state’s economic future they would be encouraging the development of a renewable energy industry, higher energy efficiency standards and the orderly development of gas-fired power stations,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information:    John Kaye 0407 195 455