Poles and wires: the solution for grid security and regional prosperity
22 AUGUST 2019
A critical new report from the energy market operator shows that old coal-fired power stations and the lack of transmission connecting energy resources in the country are the largest risks to our grid, the Australian Wind Alliance (AWA) said today.
AWA National Coordinator, Andrew Bray had this to say:
“The market operator’s report highlights the costs of federal inaction on energy and climate change policy.
“What we have now is an ageing grid, with failing coal plants and inadequate transmission to tap into Australia’s vast renewable resources.”
“Our energy minister has no plan. Angus Taylor has not met with the COAG energy council since December. He is missing in action, while our grid heads for blackouts this summer.
“After six years in power, this is a mess of the government’s own making.
“The cost of the government’s willful refusal to plan for a changing energy landscape is blackouts and higher power bills. Higher power bills for families struggling to put food on the table, and blackouts which put added stress on our economy.”
“By investing in the poles and wires that connect new wind, solar and storage projects, the government can fill the gap left by failing coal-burning plants and keep the lights on for all Australians.
“Every day around Australia, we are making electricity with wind, water and sun. We can have a 24/7 renewable energy powered system that delivers cheap energy and the jobs of today.”
“When clunky coal-fired power stations buckle under the heat and fail, renewables like wind and solar, backed by battery and pumped hydro storage, come to the rescue.”
“Regional areas are ready to tap into the jobs and community benefits of renewables and storage projects that can help fix this crisis.”
“Angus Taylor needs to start listening to bodies like Infrastructure Australia when they call for investment in ‘energy infrastructure to chase a massive market of the future.’”
“In the Victorian blackouts of January this year, wind and hydro energy from Tasmania were being pumped across the Bass Strait for almost the whole day - stopping more than 100,000 homes from losing power.”
“Investing in higher capacity transmission opens up Australia’s cornucopia of renewable resources. This is how we can create a cheaper, more flexible and resilient grid which ready for the challenges of the 21st century.”
Please contact Matthew Curry, the Australian Wind Alliance’s Communications Coordinator on 0407 914 848 for more information or to arrange an interview.
Australian Energy Market Operator - NEM Electricity Statement of Opportunities report August 2019