Question Time

Electricity Generation

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): My question is to the Premier. Did the government undertake any modelling to determine whether 250 megawatts of reserve generation could be contracted from existing providers at a lower price and sooner than the government's proposed $360 million gas generator?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:33): It's an important question because it has to clear up a lot of confusion from the opposition on this issue. Contracting with existing generation is not extra generation—

Mr Marshall: We're aware of that.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —you would hope so—because currently those generators are already in the market and available. They have visibility through the market, and it still means we are going to have shortfalls. The only way we can get through without load shedding is to have additional generation. Contracting with existing generators doesn't give us extra capacity. I thought it would have been self-evident.