Queensland Commits to Reliable Coal until 2046 – Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

h/t observa; Premier Crisafulli has upset greens by affirming Coal’s place as the energy backbone of one of Australia’s sunniest states.

Coal-fired power stations to operate in Queensland until least 2046 as energy road map unveiled

By Rachel Stewart
Topic: Energy Policy

Queensland’s energy minister has announced the state’s coal-fired power stations will operate until least 2046 as he unveiled a long-awaited energy road map.

The five-year plan lays out what role coal, gas, wind, solar, pumped hydro and battery storage will play over the long-term in Queensland.

“The former Labor government’s decision to close coal units by 2035 regardless of their condition is officially abolished today,” David Janetzki said on Friday. 

“This is a sensible and pragmatic plan built on economics and engineering, not ideology.”

The LNP has reset all of the state’s coal-fired stations back to their “technical life span end date”.

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Renewables, such as wind and solar, will continue be part of the state’s energy mix, Mr Janetzki said.

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Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-10/queensland-government-to-establish-400m-energy-fund/105874318

Greens were quick to respond;

Resources / Media Releases

October 10, 2025

CRISAFULLI GOVERNMENT’S RECKLESS ROADMAP SIGNS QUEENSLANDERS UP FOR A MORE EXPENSIVE, UNRELIABLE, POLLUTING FUTURE

By Climate Council

The Crisafulli Government’s Energy Roadmap is set to sign Queenslanders up for outdated, unreliable, and expensive coal power until the 2040’s – a move that threatens to drive up household bills, worsen climate pollution and put thousands of clean energy jobs at risk. 

The plan sits in stark contrast to projections from the Australian Energy Market Operator, which show all of Queensland’s coal power stations closing by 2035.

Extending the life of Queensland’s ageing coal-fired power stations and considering new gas developments flies in the face of Queensland’s legislated 2035 emissions target of a 75% cut on 2005 levels, which the Crisafulli Government reaffirmed during the 2024 election less than a year ago. Extending and expanding coal and gas power stations locks in more harmful climate pollution for longer, driving more frequent and extreme weather events that harm Queenslanders. 

Climate Council energy expert Greg Bourne said: “Chaining Queensland to coal clunkers for 20 years is a bet against Queensland’s future. It’s bad economics, bad for the climate, and bad for Queensland households. This is a reckless plan from a government that said it would cut climate pollution and lower costs.

“This roadmap is more of a road block to progress. Queensland’s coal power stations failed 78 times last summer, costing taxpayers billions to keep them on life support. The government is throwing good money after bad – money that should be building renewable energy and storage projects that deliver cheaper, cleaner power for everyone.”

Climate Councillor Associate Professor Joel Gilmore said: “This plan will leave Queenslanders worse off. The evidence is clear that renewables backed by storage are the cheapest and most reliable way to power our homes and businesses. Every delay in building a cleaner energy system means higher bills and more pollution.

“The sunshine state should be leading Australia’s clean energy boom, attracting investment and creating tens of thousands of regional jobs. Instead, this roadmap risks driving that investment interstate, leaving Queensland with an outdated, expensive system that is falling apart.”

ENDS

For more information visit the Climate Council’s website – Everything you need to know about Queensland’s upcoming Energy Roadmap

For interviews please contact the Climate Council media team on media@climatecouncil.org.au or call 0485 863 063.

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.

For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au

Or follow us on social media: facebook.com/climatecouncil and twitter.com/climatecounci

Source: https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/crisafulli-governments-reckless-roadmap/

The good news is this move to protect Queensland coal from the green madness will shield Queensland to an extent from the renewable follies of other states. The bad news is that protection is incomplete – those same renewable heavy states keep driving up energy prices in Queensland, whenever other states’ unreliables crumble under the strain of having to provide energy when it is needed.

From June this year;

‘Bailing out bad decisions’: Queensland slams Victoria over gas supply

James Hall, Angela Macdonald-Smith and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Jun 13, 2025 – 5.55pm

Victoria cannot rely on pulling more gas from Queensland to shore up an energy system pushed to the edge by a cascading set of breakdowns and concerns over the reliability of renewables, with the pipeline flowing south already at full capacity.

Queensland’s Liberal-National government remains staunchly opposed to further propping up the southern state’s energy grid, saying it doesn’t have the gas supply capacity to keep “bailing out Victoria’s bad decisions”.

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“Queenslanders should not be penalised over unscientific decisions down south that favour ideology over economics and engineering,” he said.

“We don’t have the pipeline capacity to keep bailing out Victoria’s bad decisions. The solution to the southern state gas crisis is for the southern states to develop their gas reserves. We’re not asking them to do anything we haven’t done ourselves.”

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Read more (paywalled): https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/bailing-out-bad-decisions-queensland-slams-victoria-over-gas-supply-20250613-p5m762

Despite this encouraging step towards energy sanity, I don’t imagine this move will stir much enthusiasm for new Aussie coal plant investment.

There is no guarantee the new 2046 target will stick – the 2035 target could be restored by a future Queensland administration. And anyone seeking to invest in coal would also have to contend with our radical green federal government.