12 March 2021 Despite what federal energy minister Angus Taylor might have you believe, the announcement of the early closure of the Yallourn power station did not send the energy market into a panic. Nor should it mean the lights will go out, as many conservative commentators are claiming. The certainty of a closure deadline and a commitment from EnergyAustralia to invest in a big battery project was largely commended, with both market participants and regulators exhibiting confidence that there will sufficient supplies of power in Victoria well into the future. The Australian Energy Market Operator says there is about 19 gigawatts of new projects lined up as potential replacements.