Blaming an "absence of national leadership", SA Premier Jay Weatherill announced the state is taking control of its energy future with a AU$550 Million plan to build a new gas-fired power plant and Australia's largest battery.

"Today, South Australia takes hold of its energy future. We have a national electricity market which is failing not only SA but failing the nation," Premier Jay Weatherill said.  "It is a plan for the 21st century.  It is a plan to take our clean, green, renewable resources and use them to create an energy future for our state and indeed for our nation."

The need to shore up the state's energy infrastructure became abundantly clearly last month's "load shedding" debacle that saw 90,000 customers blacked out.  Last September, powerful storms brought down transmission lines, knocking out power for the entire state.

The investment will create about 550 jobs, according to Mr. Weatherill.  South Australia government will build, own, and operate a $360 million, 250-megawatt gas-fired plant to provide power grid stability and for emergency power needs.  A $150 million renewable technology fund will pay for the battery, to be build by the private sector.

"South Australia has stepped up into the breach in the absence of national leadership," Premier Weatherill said.

Federal Labor's Bill Shorten says the government has to recognize that there is a national energy crisis.  "Jay Weatherill is acting.  Now it is time for (Prime Minister) Turnbull to stop playing political games and work with Labor and let's work together for the interests of of the nation," Mr Shorten said.