Despite the anti-wind hype, South Australia’s success shows the power of renewable energy
Australian energy ministers have been so keen on geothermal, because they can most readily understand the concept of drilling for energy. You can’t dig up solar and wind power.
Not only are wind and solar playing increasingly significant roles in the power grid, but they are also helping to make wholesale electricity prices cheaper.
the progress with renewable energy in South Australia is promising and shows that with a friendly policy environment – for example, no 2km wind farm exclusion zones – great strides can be made.
Are the lights still on in South Australia? Business Spectator, Daniel Palmer , 1 Jun 2012 “……I was concerned for the state of South Australia after receiving some interesting news during the day – wind now makes up 31 per cent of the state’s power supply, with solar PV accounting for another 3.5 per cent.
According to a leading energy advisory firm (Energy Quest), wind already “appears to be the new baseload.” Not bad in spite of the campaign against wind by they-who-shall-not-be-named……. . I have been told for years that wind and solar are not capable of supplying power consistently enough to power one house, yet alone be able to supply a third of the energy needs for an entire state.
It appears to be all a Y2K-like false alarm however, with everything operating as normal….
Build, baby, build
People are always afraid of what’s different.
It’s why Australian energy ministers have been so keen on geothermal, because they can most readily understand the concept of drilling for energy. You can’t dig up solar and wind power.
But while you may not dig, you can still receive. And South Australia
is doing so in spades, making the ‘wind is the new baseload’ claim
credible.
Since the last March quarter, wind’s share of South Australia’s energy
supply was 31 per cent compared to 21 per cent 12 months prior. In the
meantime, coal’s share dipped from 30 per cent to 26 per cent, while
gas has fallen from 45 per cent to 39.5 per cent.
Pricing
Not only are wind and solar playing increasingly significant roles in the power grid, but they are also helping to make wholesale electricity prices cheaper. In the March quarter, wholesale
electricity prices were between 30 and 60 per cent cheaper in the
eastern states compared to a year ago. Energy Quest said the reasons
for the wholesale price falls were “lower demand for grid power and
the growth of wind and solar.”
South Australian wholesale prices fell 50 per cent, while the
country’s most heavily reliant coal state, Victoria, only realised a
price fall of 31 per cent. Average wholesale prices in Victoria, the
only eastern state to have coal increase its output for the quarter,
fell to $24.53/MWh from $35.50/MWh. South Australian prices fell to
$26.17/MWh from $51.82/MWh. The gap is closing rapidly.
Obviously the switch to a sustainable energy future is a gradual one
to be made over decades, not in the next year or two. But the progress with renewable energy in South Australia is promising and shows that with a friendly policy environment – for example, no 2km wind farm exclusion zones – great strides can be made.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/power-electricity-demand-solar-PV-energy-SA-baselo-pd20120531-USUMP?opendocument&src=rss
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