Thread: Big storm and no power in SA

Market failure has resulted because of a lack of national guidance from Canberra (waving a lump of coal is not leadership, it's a pathetic joke) as worn out coal power stations such as Hazelwood become uneconomic and are shut down, so in the absence of national leadership to plan a national grid for the future, the states are going it alone to look after their own residents. Basically, the national market is defunct and it is likely other states will also decide to look after themselves first. How long before Victoria announces a new power station to replace Hazelwood?
Switching from coal to gas should halve emissions while keeping the SA gas-powered station government-owned should mean it will not be hostage to private operators putting profits ahead of a reliable supply. Privatization of power supplies was supposed to keep a lid on prices, but instead they have exploded, rising by as much as 60% in eight years in some cases, so privatization has been a failure for consumers.
Battery storage is a proven thing, it is not experimental, and costs are failing rapidly, just as they have also done for solar and wind. Really, the SA Government could have chosen to just spend the whole $500 million on battery storage charged by wind generators. However, there is gas in SA and so it makes sense to use a local resource to keep the system balanced.
ANEMO failed to ensure SA generators were operated to prevent blackouts in SA, so the changes announced will give the SA Minister for Energy the power to intervene and order plants to supply the SA grid first, which is another example of the national grid failing to perform as the community wants, so it has to be overridden by the state. So, if both Victoria and SA need extra power at some point in the future, the SA Minister will be able to order the generators to supply SA first, rather than sending it down the interconnector to Victoria, and then maybe Victorians will also get to experience the joys of a blackout.

PS: Turnbull waffles while SA acts.
Gas companies risk 'social licence' by failing to supply domestic market, Turnbull says | Australia news | The Guardian

Originally Posted by bee utey

That's all very good, but it's too late now for Port Augusta to keep the (privately owned) ol' coal plant alive. The decisions made this week are entirely different to those that could have, should have been made two years ago. Anyway, battery companies have been given two weeks to come up with something concrete. Should be fun watching the shouting matches from the sidelines....

That's just it - not it's not... less than 2 weeks to be operational at the plant.. just need to get some
coal in front of it.

Only one (stack) from (one) plant was knocked down - symbolically... SFA else has been done.

Privatisation is absolute BS... especially for South Oz..

Multiple retailers - who do absolutely, utterly,
Nothing - except send out the bill....

So what benefit is a retailer to an SA resident? Absolutely bloody nothing....

We just added a layer of cost (and employment) between producer and consumer...

Interesting to see the new Spodumene mines setting up in WA Pilbara at the moment...

Some very big deposits up there that should keep the Battery making boys happy...

I totally agree - electricity privatization has been a total failure. That why the SA Government is going the other way and re-regulating.

And just one of the reasons the recent WA LNP govt is now the opposition.

Originally Posted by Ferret

And just one of the reasons the recent WA LNP govt is now the opposition.

yet the people now in power promised, no renewables.

This is so ridiculously far off topic

Tombie

What does "'n behoefte aan 'n dik vel te kry" mean?

Many decades ago I could almost understand Afrikaans and that looks similar.

Kenley