In the media
Blackout warnings show urgent need to get off unreliable coal
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) warning that NSW faces blackout risks later this week shows Australia must urgently transition away from unreliable coal-fired power stations.
With temperatures set to soar in NSW, reports that at least one generation unit at three of NSW’s four coal-fired power plants is offline for maintenance or repairs, shows coal-fired power stations are a blackout risk.
Businesses and households around the state are being let down by our unreliable, ageing coal-fired power plants. The threat of blackouts before we hit summer shows the urgency at which Australia must transition to renewable energy backed by reliable storage technology.
The unreliability of our coal fired power plants also shows the Coalition’s nuclear fantasy is built on a house of cards. There is no way Australia’s creaking coal fired power stations can support a dynamic, growing economy until the 2040s – when the first nuclear reactors could be expected to be built under Peter Dutton’s so-called ‘nuclear energy plan’.
The only way for Australians to enjoy more affordable and reliable energy is to double down on investment in renewables, and invest heavily in large-scale battery storage solutions, backed by a national small-scale battery storage target.
Battery technology can play a critical role in stabilising the grid and improving energy security. That’s why we need a federal battery rebate scheme for households and businesses, supported by a target of one million batteries nationally by 2030.
It’s time for the fossil fuel dinosaurs to face reality – coal is inflexible and unreliable, and any blackouts in NSW later this week will be squarely the fault of the state’s ageing and decaying coal fired power fleet.
ENDS
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