Station's second life to ease power prices

The Queensland government will fire up a mothballed gas station near Ipswich in a bid to stop the sting of rising electricity prices.

The Swanbank E Power Station, which was shut down in 2014, is expected to be brought online by early 2018 to sure up supply during the summer months.

State energy minister Mark Bailey said it was necessary to reopen the station after this year's record-breaking heatwaves and the lack of federal energy certainty under the Liberal Turnbull government.

"We can't control the weather but we can take action now," Mr Bailey said on Sunday.

Swanbank station was tipped to be sold as part of Premier Campbell Newman's asset sale until he lost the government and his seat in the January 2015 election.