Veteran journalist Robert Gottliebsen warns that Australia’s Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project, linking two reservoirs to store wind and solar power for three million homes, could total $40 billion including tunnels, dams, transmission lines like Humelink, interest, and delays.
Originally announced by Malcolm Turnbull at $2 billion, costs rose to $12 billion by 2023 with operations now set for 2028, seven years late, though Snowy Hydro claims 70% completion and defends its 150-year value at one cent daily per Australian.
Critics like former MP Craig Kelly decry habitat damage in Kosciuszko National Park and farmland threats from lines, while both major parties support pushing ahead amid environmental fines and nuclear alternatives suggested online.