Energy is ALL STATIONS GO this morning with multiple references to the recommendations of the Finkel Electricity Review.

Talks between the Prime Minister and AGL are front page on the Australian Financial Review, The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, with the Prime Minister keen to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station operating beyond its scheduled closure in 2022.

Dr Finkel spoke on the progress of the ‘Finkel Review’ at our business lunch in Sydney yesterday, with both The Australian and The Australian Financial Review noting his support for extending the life of existing coal generators. Both stories have quoted Dr Finkel’s statement that “Investing in extending existing coal generators is absolutely consistent with what we recommended in our report.”

Columnist Jennifer Hewitt also covered the business lunch in the Australian Financial Review reporting that “Finkel is finally offering an alternative to the great fight over coal,” and provides a more detailed report of Alan’s presentation. She remarks that “Finkel is actually sounding optimistic about the fate of his report given 49 of its 50 recommendations, many of them technical in nature but commonsense in evolution, have been accepted by all governments.”