The event has prompted questions about the reliability of the state’s electricity grid. But it’s important to note these extreme winds would have seriously disrupted any power system.
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar per head. Can this small-scale power source be the secret weapon to fire up our struggling transition to net zero?
If Australia is to meet its net zero targets it must move fast and build massive industrial infrastructure. But those projects are provoking fierce hostility. Is there a way through the green dilemma?
Australia’s move towards net zero emissoions by 2020 is in danger of stalling. If it is not to fail, the nation urgently needs a government plan, aligned with industry and with public support.
A heater with a 300-litre tank can store as much energy as a home battery at a fraction of the cost. Being able to store surplus solar energy at the right times helps grid stability and cuts emissions.
The need to limit output to the grid costs solar panel owners up to $4.5 million a year in South Australia alone. A bill of rights and responsibilities can make connecting to the grid fairer for all.
How has the national electricity market responded to one of the biggest reforms in years, the introduction of five-minute settlement? Analysis reveals more than a few surprises.
Are blackouts really looming by the middle of this decade? An AEMO report warns they might be – but there are plenty of projects on the drawing board that will help ease the squeeze on the grid.
We arrived at this moment thanks to a series of policy decisions under previous governments – state and federal - that left Australia’s energy system unable to cope with the demands placed on it.
Australia’s energy market operator has suspended the National Electricity Market, due to a perfect storm of coal plants going offline and a spike in fossil fuel prices.
Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Australia already imposes a super-profits tax of 40% on gas producers, but very little is paid. Yet we know how to simplify the system, so we’re not gifting billions to multinational companies.