Dan Andrews dismisses warnings over summer power blackouts

• By Avi Yemini

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Premier Dan Andrews insists Victoria will not suffer blackouts during summer despite the Australian Energy Market Operator warning his state’s power supply is completely unreliable.

AEMO Chief Executive Daniel Westerman said Victoria had a "critical" shortfall of energy brought about by decisions to retire fossil fuel plants.

He warned that Victoria would suffer power shortages during peak summer periods if the government did not immediately add more renewables to the energy supply.

But Andrews criticised the AEMO report, claiming it did not consider projects currently under construction by his government.

“It’s a very conservative report every year… it’s put forward in conservative terms,” he said.

“And that’s what you want. But it doesn’t take into account projects that are being built as we speak.

“And there are more projects and more renewable energy that’s been added to the Victorian grid than any other jurisdiction in our country.”

Andrews conceded summer would be “challenging” but insisted Victoria’s transition to renewable energy was well in hand.

The AEMO report ramps up pressure on the federal government to honor its commitment to more than double the level of renewable energy in the system to 82 per cent of supply by 2030.

To achieve that target the Albanese government will have to overcome strong resistance from farmers who are protesting the construction of new power lines and other transmission infrastructure on their properties.

Farmers marched on the Victorian Parliament last month, protesting that the benefits of renewable energy outweighed the social cost.