Chief Scientist Alan Finkel says that Renewables could reliably contribute 50% to power grid
, says Alan Finkel, Guardian, Katharine Murphy, 20 Nov 17 , Chief scientist warns in new report that Australia risks missing out on global growth industry of energy storage because of ongoing policy uncertainty Australia’s power grid can reach penetrations of 50% renewable energy without a significant requirement for storage to support reliability, according to a new report commissioned by Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel.
While the Turnbull government has made much of the need for storage to increase security and reliability in the national power grid, the new report from the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) says at an aggregated national level, 50% renewables is possible without major investments in storage for reliability purposes.
But the report also points out that the requirement to shore-up network security as power systems decarbonise in accordance with international climate policy commitments is an ongoing task, and that transition means energy storage is now a major global growth industry.
It notes that new energy security requirements create opportunities to expand energy storage capacity for reliability at a lower marginal cost than would otherwise be the case.
It also warns that Australia risks missing out on the benefits of participating in global supply chains because of ongoing uncertainty over energy policy.
As well as focussing on building local manufacturing capacity, the report says Australia’s research and development performance in energy storage technologies is world class, “but would benefit from strategic focus and enhanced collaboration.”
The report points out that Australian energy storage start-ups face challenges, including access to venture capital, which are related to continuing uncertainty over energy and climate policy……
Last month, the Turnbull government dumped Finkel’s recommendation for a clean energy target and went with a policy which imposes new reliability and emissions reduction guarantees on energy retailers and large energy users from 2020 – a policy which will encourage new investment in storage.
The energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, is due to meet with his state counterparts later this week to consider whether or not consensus can be reached on the national energy guarantee – but going in to the discussions, some of the Labor states have resisted the proposal on the basis it isn’t sufficiently friendly to renewables.
The federal government needs buy-in from the states, because the new system requires jurisdictions to pass complimentary legislation to set up the national energy guarantee.
The new report by ACOLA , which assessed various energy storage technologies, also probed public attitudes, with focus groups in two capital cities and with a national survey of 1,015 respondents.
The research suggests Australians favour a more ambitious renewable mix by 2030, particularly solar and wind, with significant energy storage deployed to manage grid security………
Bruce Godfrey, chair of ACOLA working group, says the new report “clearly shows the two sides of the coin – that energy storage is an enormous opportunity for Australia but there is work to be done to build consumer confidence”.
Finkel, the chief scientist, and the man who led the review of the national electricity grid, says Australia should grab a major new export industry by developing our technical capacity. Given our natural resources and our technical expertise, energy storage could represent a major new export industry for our nation,” Finkel says.
“Energy storage is an opportunity to capitalise on our research strengths, culture of innovation and abundant natural resources.
“We have great advantages in the rapidly expanding field of lithium production and the emerging field of renewable hydrogen with export opportunities to Asia.” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/20/renewables-could-reliably-contribute-50-to-power-grid-says-alan-finkel
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1.This month.
The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.
The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.
Antinuclear 
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