Queensland will have enough capacity to cope with peak summer energy demands, Energy Minister Anthony Lynham says.
Dr Lynham witnessed the firing up of Swanbank gas-fired power station near Ipswich on Thursday after three years in cold storage, saying the move adds an extra 385 megawatts of power over the summer peak period for the state.
The 15-year-old facility west of Brisbane was turned on following a recommendation by the Queensland Energy Security Taskforce's preparedness plan for summer.
Dr Lynham said Thursday's decision was just one step the Palaszczuk government had taken to ensure Queensland's summer power needs would be met.
"With Wivenhoe Power Station increasing from 500 MW to 570 MW and 140 MW of new renewable energy, Queensland will have more than enough capacity to meet this summer's forecast peak demand," Dr Lynham said in a statement.
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"In addition, Stanwell has revised its bidding strategies during peak demand periods to better reflect the underlying costs of its power stations."
The firing up of Swanbank will also create 16 jobs for new staff, Dr Lynham said.
