WA’s solar panels,coupled with recent mild weather,have caused the state’s major power grid demand to drop sharply,putting the system under stress.
“If we have an early hot spell heading into Christmas like we did last year,certainly the unavailability of Collie power station will put us at risk of having blackouts”.
The state’s Southern Downs renewable energy zone will receive a $160 million federal investment for new infrastructure to connect power generated from wind farms to the grid.
For Synergy boss David Fyfe,closing two coal-fired power stations is bittersweet:the end of an era for Collie but the start of a seven-year race to build cleaner more flexible power.
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Frigid weather and the upheaval in the energy market has whetted consumer appetite for renewable technologies like home batteries and rooftop solar.
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Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen says some challenges remain but the outlook for stability in the power supply is good.
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s annual review of the power system serving WA’s populous south-west predicted a need for new generation from 2025 and more than 300 megawatts by 2031.
The Victorian premier hit back at Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King’s suggestion that the state’s ban on fracking was a barrier to fixing the energy crisis.
“We’re standing at a point where to continue business as usual would lead to around $3 billion dollars of losses by the end of the decade,” Premier Mark McGowan said.