Q+A: Sept 18

Next Monday Q+A is in Sydney.

This week on Q+A… tackling Australia’s energy crisis. The nation’s biggest cities are at risk of rolling blackouts this summer, and the regulator is warning of a bleak decade of power outages to come. As temperatures rise and coal power plants close – how will our leaders ensure we can keep the lights on?

The return of an El Niño weather pattern is set to bring hotter days and lower winds, putting more pressure on an already strained system as people try to keep cool. Delays and cost blowouts for projects like Snowy Hydro 2.0 – along with a slowdown in clean energy investment approvals – have heightened concerns about the transition to renewables. Do we need to look at more radical solutions?

Meanwhile, the government has finally got its headline housing bill over the line – but questions remain about when and where the new homes will be built. How soon will the work begin?

Panellists:
Minister for Climate Change & Energy Chris Bowen,
Shadow Minister for Climate Change & Energy Ted O’Brien,
Independent MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender,
Independent Economist Nicki Hutley
and Founder of Nuclear for Australia Will Shackel.

Monday, 18 September at 9.35pm on ABC.