By TOM HAYES
THE state government has announced it has brought back the State Electricity Commission (SEC) for good, enshrining it in Victoria’s Constitution, stating it has protected the SEC from future Liberal governments.
The Constitution Amendment Bill 2023 passed the Victorian Parliament, enshrining the SEC in the constitution.
The state government and Minister for the State Electricity Commission, Lily D’Ambrosio welcomed the news, while also taking aim at the Coalition.
“The Liberals sold off our energy assets, and you can be sure they’re asking Jeff Kennett for advice on how to do it again. Now, the SEC is here to stay – ensuring Victorians can benefit from publicly owned renewable energy for decades to come,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
Enshrining the SEC in the constitution guarantees public ownership of renewable energy assets for the future, giving the SEC the certainty to continue accelerating the renewable energy transition and ensuring all Victorians will benefit, a state government press release said.
“This will give the SEC the certainty it needs to power on with Victoria’s renewable energy transition, putting the power back in the hands of Victorians, creating thousands of jobs and slashing power bills,” Ms D’Ambrosio added.
In response, the Shadow Minister for the State Electricity Commission, David Davis said Ms D’Ambrosio and Premier Jacinta Allan have “embarrassed themselves”, after a recent Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) report warned Victorians that they were supposedly at risk of blackouts over the coming summer.
“After nearly two years’ worth of media releases, camera opportunities and branded merchandise, and an AEMO report revealing the average wholesale electricity cost in Victoria surged by 43 per cent compared to the same period last year, the SEC has only invested in one project to date,” Mr Davis said.
“It is clear Labor’s ‘SEC’ has not cut power prices or provided more reliable power to Victorians.”
It was affirmed that all profits the SEC makes will be reinvested back into renewable energy projects, which the state government said will secure a steady pipeline of renewable energy jobs and training opportunities right across Victoria, helping create 59,000 jobs including 6000 traineeships and apprenticeships.
Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron maintained the stance that the state government is failing to deliver cheaper energy, with no promise of local job opportunities.
“Labor told us, with much fanfare, the SEC would be ‘brought back to Morwell’, yet all we have is one part-time employee hot-desking at the GovHub,” Mr Cameron said.
“Despite all the spin, and some $300 million that was given to the now-defunct Latrobe Valley Authority, the number of jobs in the Latrobe local government area has shrunk by eight per cent in the last 11 years.
“Hazelwood shut in 2017, Yallourn will shut in 2028, Loy Yang A will shut in 2032, and Loy Yang B will follow later that decade, yet there is no indication Labor has a plan to establish new industries in the Valley to replace thousands of jobs that will be lost here.”
Mr Cameron believes there are opportunities for the Latrobe Valley workforce, but all that they need is the backing of the state government.
“We have the coal-to-hydrogen project, which has gained the commercial support of the Japanese government to the tune of $2 billion, needs Labor’s backing and is the sort of project perfectly suited to our highly-skilled workforce, existing energy infrastructure, and resources,” he said.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieve the significant economic and emission reduction benefits that commercial projects like this will deliver, and we can do it right here in the Latrobe Valley, if the state government comes to the party.”
The state government hopes that the SEC will help drive down power bills by increasing the amount of renewable energy in the country through its publicly owned projects, and will help Victoria achieve its nation leading target of 95 per cent renewable energy by 2035.
The SEC already has construction underway on its first project – the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, a 600-megawatt big battery that will store enough energy to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods and enable more renewable energy generation to be connected to the grid. The project is the first, being delivered using the SEC’s initial $1 billion. The SEC will deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power through new renewable energy and storage projects – enough to power more than 1.5 million homes.
The SEC is also believed to be delivering bill savings through its home electrification digital planner. The SEC already has more than 3000 users in its first month, looking to switch to electric appliances, the state government believes.
Victoria’s investment in renewable energy is believed to consistently deliver the lowest wholesale energy prices in the country – this position only grows stronger as more battery storage, wind and solar farms come online, the state government said.
