There are calls from the backbench and elsewhere for the federal government to safeguard the future of coal. But do those calls make economic sense? A look at Queensland’s energy landscape suggests not.
Offshore wind turbine near Scotland.
U.S. Department of the Interior
Advanced small modular reactors, known as SMRs, will probably have many advantages over older technology. But it’s not yet known how they will stack up against other sources of electricity.
Solar lowers prices and shifts when daily peak demand hours are.
Duke Energy
Joachim Seel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Andrew Mills, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory e Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Large-scale solar and wind tend to push energy prices down, which sounds great as a consumer. But that makes keeping the grid in constant balance harder.
Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker signed a comprehensive energy law in 2016 that authorized the development of new offshore wind and hydroelectric projects.
Massachusetts governor’s office
Several states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have developed ambitious renewable energy targets that hinge in large part on getting their power from turbines stationed in the water.
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, left, speaks with Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffery Grybowski in 2016.
AP Photo/Steven Senne
State energy ministers meet this week to discuss the National Energy Guarantee. While the policy has been criticised as too modest, it would put us light years ahead of the previous climate policy paralysis.
Hackers can interfere with everyday efforts to keep the lights on.
pan denim/Shutterstock.com
Evan Franklin, University of Tasmania e Frank Jotzo, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
‘Virtual power plants’ offer extra power to the grid by tweaking the operation of batteries and appliances right across the network. But even this might be too blunt a tool for our future energy needs.
Keeping the lights on has always been a stormy issue in South Australia.
Jon Westra/Wikimedia Commons
Two decades ago, the then SA premier, John Olsen, defied a campaign promise and announced plans to privatise the state’s electricity industry. It’s been a high-voltage issue ever since.
Solar and wind compete with coal power plants when it comes to energy storage systems.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Energy storage, such as big batteries, on the power grid is generally seen as ‘green’ technology but the reality is more complicated, an analysis finds.
Bill Shorten said he had become increasingly sceptical of Adani in recent months.
AAP/David Crosling
The urban heat island and summertime blackouts
The Conversation25,6 MB(download)
Today, we're asking why some of the most disadvantaged parts of our cities cop the worst of a heatwave and how you -- yes, you! -- can do your bit to reduce the risk of a summer time blackout.
Blockchain technologies could help homeowners sell their green electricity to their neighbours.
(Shutterstock)
The Long Read: Most Australians’ power bills have been rising for a decade. There are many reasons why, but the common thread is a lack of government willingness to get to grips with crucial policy problems.
Managed in the right way, wind farms can actually help stabilise the grid, rather than disrupting it.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
New modelling suggests that Australia could use renewable energy to hit its 2030 emissions reduction targets, without it costing any more overall than maintaining the status quo.
A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.
Alvin Baez/Reuters
Yes, Puerto Rico and any other storm-vulnerable location could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but it’s unrealistic to say these microgrids are enough to power the island.