Nationals Senator Matt Canavan questions why the federal government is moving towards an energy system that is so dependent on weather when Australia is known for “weather extremes”.
Mr Canavan’s remarks come as emergency agencies fear the country could face a"summer shocker" with more chances of fire, floods and cyclones. The Bureau of Meteorology warns the El Nino summer could present a challenge to the nation's energy grid due to the"penetration of renewable energy", as the bureau forecasts lower than average winds.
“We used to have an electricity system which we could rely on and just because it was a little bit hot didn’t mean we couldn’t turn our air conditioners on,” Mr Canavan told Sky News Australia. “This is a mad insane rush to renewables, and we need to think twice about doing this and this warning just shows why.”