Renewable energy boom could force coal power to close early, says new report

An analysis of Australia’s energy market has found a number of the nation’s coal-fired power stations could be financially unviable by 2025 and at least one may be forced to close early.

The joint report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) think thank and advisory firm Green Energy Markets attempts to quantify the mounting pressure on coal-fired plants, as a flood of cheaper and more flexible renewable power hits the grid.

The most vulnerable power stations were in NSW with concerns that sudden closures would lead to a shortfall in dispatchable…