We here are being forced to close out coal burning power stations and are being duped into believing wind and solar will get us by, and in the same breath we are allowing the export of coal to India and China to burn in their power stations. Eventually we will be able to stand proud that we helped save the world, even if as a country we are broke
Norm, IMHO it's
not just the 'enviro lobby' that's pushing to shut down coal fired power stations, it's commercial pressures as well. Mind you, these watermelons [i.e. green outside, red inside] do not grasp, or wish to, the factors that enable a stable grid power supply to exist. They're always stumped when I ask them in discussion; OK, which days do you personally wish to have no grid power? 'Cos that's the way they wish to head us.
Pigeons are now coming home to roost big time, from the privatisation mania, for both power generation and grid distribution, that swept Oz in the '80's-'90's.
The bottom line is, that renewable power sources [edit: with the sole exception of hydro] will only ever be capable of 'top-up' generation capacity. They have to have a
stable base load generator to synch to. Unless, and until, an electric storage technology capable of storing gigawatt-hours of power is developed.
In the current situation, the base load generators are all privatised, in Vic. Which means that they are
required to make yearly profits for their shareholders/owners. Without
any regard at all to stable grid supply. I think you can see where this goes - as SA just found out the hard way...
