Australian authorities intend to return to operation closed coal-fired power plants in order to overcome the energy crisis in the country, said Resources Minister Madeleine King on Tuesday.

She said the decommissioning of aging coal-fired power plants, which began in 2020, was a major driver of the country's energy crisis, and therefore operators should return them to service as soon as possible so that Australia can get through the winter with an additional 30 % of energy capacities.

The minister also noted that the refusal to invest in coal-fired power plants and their decommissioning was premature, since the country does not have enough renewable energy sources to make up for the lack of electricity resulting from their shutdown.

Earlier, the country's climate change and energy minister said that due to a shortage of gas and rising electricity prices, Australia was on the verge of the most serious energy crisis in the country's history.

A cold snap on the southeastern and eastern coasts of the continent has increased demand for gas and electricity from consumers, which, along with high global energy prices, has caused a supply crisis and massive blackouts, according to Australian authorities.

Wholesale gas prices topped all-time highs, rising 800% in the first week of June from A$10 ($7.17) to A$800 ($573.28) per gigajoule (25.5 cubic meters).