Antinuclear

South Australian power blackout – great opportunity for Australia’s anti renewable energy government

the federal government was taking the opportunity even before the state had begun mopping up to drive home its message that renewables are not yet reliable enough to become a primary energy source.

research fellow Dylan McConnell, of Melbourne University’s Energy Institute, writing on The Conversation website, says the level of renewables played no role…..This could have happened in any state or with any generation technology.”

Political power struggle after SA’s statewide blackout, The Saturday Paper, KAREN MIDDLETON, 1 Oct 16 

  As clean-up began after South Australia’s freak storms, the federal energy minister seized the opportunity for a debate on renewables. “…….As the massive storm battered South Australia, 23 transmission towers were knocked over, bringing down crucial power lines. A power station was also struck by lightning.

According to Frydenberg, those two weather-driven events “plus others” led to electricity surging through the two interconnectors that supply electricity from Victoria into South Australia.

To protect consumers and their homes and businesses from what would have been a massive jolt, the system shut down.

…… The Australian Energy Market Operator has begun an investigation and will prepare a report for government.

Frydenberg has called an emergency meeting of federal, state and territory energy ministers to discuss the implications for the rest of the country.

The varying sources of Australia’s energy, from fossil fuels to renewables, will feature strongly in their deliberations. …….

the federal government was taking the opportunity even before the state had begun mopping up to drive home its message that renewables are not yet reliable enough to become a primary energy source.

Pointing the finger

South Australia’s heavy reliance on renewable energy is already facing heavy scrutiny as people seek to point the finger of blame beyond the storm.

South Australia has the second-highest use of renewable energy of any state after Tasmania, which draws 90 per cent of its power from hydro-electricity.

In South Australia, 41 per cent of the state’s energy comes from wind and solar power, with the rest from gas…….

Frydenberg argues that some states are trying to switch to renewable sources of energy too quickly, reducing their ability to cope when a terrible event such as Wednesday’s storm occurs.

‘Transmission failure’

But research fellow Dylan McConnell, of Melbourne University’s Energy Institute, writing on The Conversation website, says the level of renewables played no role.

“A lot of generation capacity was lost because of the transmission failure,” McConnell writes. . “Because of that there was a voltage drop, which triggered safety protection measures that tripped the Heywood interconnector that connects South Australia with Victoria. This could have happened in any state or with any generation technology.”

Nevertheless, Frydenberg and the government are pointing to the incident as reason to revisit renewable energy targets, describing the varying state and territory targets as “a hotchpotch”.

As an example, Frydenberg singles out the Labor-run states, comparing South Australia’s target with those in Victoria and Queensland.

South Australia’s target is to draw 50 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 – just 9 per cent above its current level. But its power prices are also very high.

Only 12 per cent of Victoria’s energy is renewable currently, but its target is 40 per cent by 2025.

Queensland gets only 4.5 per cent of its power from renewables now, but its target is 50 per cent by 2030.

The Labor-led Australian Capital Territory government, which faces voters on October 14, has a target of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2020.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is determined to pursue the transition to his absolute target……

The federal government wants one single, lower target across the country……..

Independent review

The premier has instigated his own independent review of what happened, and why.

He rejected suggestions that relying heavily on intermittent power sources had caused the fluctuations in power that in turn had tripped the interconnectors.

“This was a weather event,” Weatherill said. “This was not a renewable energy event. There are other challenges with the national electricity market around price and stability, which need to be addressed. But it was not this event.”

Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten agreed. “I think it’s disgraceful that the conservatives are playing politics with what is a natural disaster,” he said. “Now, even if they want to play the blame game, surely isn’t it appropriate to wait until all the houses have their power back on, until we know the bill, until we know what’s happened? … The experts have made it clear, what has taken the power out in South Australia is the weather, not a government policy.”

Shorten says he is prepared to hear the arguments for a single national renewable energy target – but he’s suspicious of the government’s motives.  ………

Greens MP Adam Bandt has called the government’s questioning of renewable energy “reprehensible”.

“It’s just rank opportunism and factually wrong to start blaming this on renewable energy.”

He said it was global warming that caused the storms. “It’s a wake-up call as to what would happen if we don’t get global warming under control.”

Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon is calling for an independent inquiry into the incident…….https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2016/10/01/political-power-struggle-after-sas-statewide-blackout/14752440003805

October 3, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News