Antinuclear

Free energy fuel: South Australia’s wind power is making fossil fuel power too costly

How wind is changing the energy game in South Australia REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 31 October 2012 Nowhere in Australia has wind energy had as much of an impact on the existing electricity infrastructure as in South Australia. According to the latest figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator, wind energy accounted for more than 22 per cent of capacity and 20 per cent of supply over the past year – although it has been higher over
shorter periods – and at times supplied more than 80 per cent of the state’s energy needs.

The fact that wind energy, once built, supplies energy at near zero marginal cost and lowers the wholesale price of electricity has helped push more expensive fossil fuel generation out of the system, which is why fossil fuel generators are keen to reduce the extent of the renewable energy target. In South Australia, it has forced the closure in winter of the two local coal-fired generators that once supplied nearly one-third of the state’s needs.

Wind energy, though, is challenging to manage. Wind energy is variable
and not always blowing at times of peak demand. The good news is that
it can be quite predictable, and the more that is put up across
different regions, the less variable it becomes. And grid operators
are used to dealing with variable demand.

South Australia has one of the highest penetrations of wind in the
world, and accounts for around half of the wind energy installations
in Australia. …..
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/how-wind-is-changing-the-energy-game-in-south-australia-67164

November 1, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Australia, wind