Hon Rod Caddies questions the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation regarding a $64 million allocation for maintenance on Synergy's coal-fired power stations, inquiring about the nature, urgency, and relation to fluctuating output due to renewable energy integration. The Minister's response confirms the expenditure aligns with long-term asset management and that all generation adjusts output based on market needs.

AnsweredQoN 364Legislative Council
Asked
12 May 2026
Portfolio
Energy and Decarbonisation

QuestionView source ↗

Synergy—Coal plants—Maintenance
364. Hon Rod Caddies to
the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
I refer to the
announcement that Synergy will be provided with $64 million to perform
maintenance work on its coal-fired power stations.
(1) Can the minister advise what
maintenance will be performed with the additional funds?
(2) Is the maintenance in question urgent
for safety reasons?
(3) Can the minister confirm that Synergy's
coal plants are required to frequently adjust their output to accommodate
intermittent renewable energy in the grid?
(4) Is the $64 million of additional
maintenance requirements related to Synergy's practice of frequently adjusting
the output from its coal-fired power stations?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) The forecast
spend is aligned with long-term asset management plans and maintenance on units
within Synergy's coal-generation fleet. All electricity generation is
required to adjust output to accommodate market, network and system needs. This
is managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more