[bitontheslide]

Australia's energy minister has urged households in New South Wales - a state that includes the country's biggest city Sydney - to switch off their lights in the face of an energy crisis.

Chris Bowen says people should not use electricity for two hours every evening if they "have a choice".

However, he added he was "confident" that blackouts could be avoided.

It comes after Australia's main wholesale electricity market was suspended because of a surge in prices.

Mr Bowen asked people living in New South Wales to conserve as much power as possible.

"If you have a choice about when to run certain items, don't run them from 6 to 8 [in the evening]," he said during a televised media conference in Canberra.
Australia is one of the world's biggest exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas but has been struggling with a power crisis since last month. Three quarters of the country's electricity is still generated using coal. It has long been accused of not doing enough to cut its emissions by investing in renewables.

In recent weeks, Australia has felt the impact of disruptions to coal supplies, outages at several coal-fired power plants and soaring global energy prices.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61821423

[Cherie]

Seems fair enough

[Toy Soldier]

Scotland should be OK if I turn off the heated airer for a couple of hours each evening.

[Alf]

Chris Bowen would be getting two fingers held up in his face from me.

Build back better my arse!

[Toy Soldier]

Surely Australia should have invested heavily in solar… there can’t be many places better for it.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Now put your lighters up (WOOLLOOMOOLOO )
Put your lighters up (MT BUGGERY )
Put your lighters up (MANANGATANG)
Keep putting your lighters up (Wanka Creek)
Put your lighters up (Slim Dusty Circuit)
Put your lighters up (Chinamans Knob)
Keep putting them lighters up
No matter where you from, put your lighters up