As Australia’s oldest power station, Liddell, prepares to shut down, fears of an energy cliff are escalating with concerns over the country’s reliance on coal-fired power.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan highlighted the potential consequences of Liddell’s closure, with around 1200 megawatts of electricity set to be removed from the grid stating “There’s a real deficit of common sense around at the moment, let’s just hope it doesn’t get too cold!”

Canavan pointed to Germany’s strategy of mothballing coal-fired power stations, suggesting Australia should follow suit to avoid energy shortages and blackouts.

Canavan also advocated for considering nuclear power as an alternative, citing the safe operation of nuclear reactors in other countries, but acknowledges that it may take years of planning before such a solution can be implemented.

Photo: Getty