Modern Australia is totally reliant on a reliable, low cost, uninterrupted supply of electricity 24hrs a day/ 7 days a week (24/7), to function at full capacity. If that supply is reduced intermittently, Blackouts must occur. Intermittent blackouts, threaten the security, lifestyle and prosperity of the Country. Similarly, very high prices can severely restrict the community by making manufacturing and other business unprofitable and leaving people having to decide whether to heat the house or have a meal.
To obtain that guarantee of a 24/7 electricity supply, electricity generators are needed that are able to supply electricity on a 24/7 basis. It is the different fuels that drive different electricity generators, that decide whether a generator can or cannot provide electricity 24/7. And the amount of time each day that the specific fuel is available is one factor in setting the price. The other factor is the lifetime of the generating infrastructure that allows the infrastructure cost to be spread over many years, which also affects the price structure.
The different fuels are:
Coal which is a Fossil Fuel, that can be fed into a power station to produce baseload electricity at a constant, even flow 24/7. Coal can provide low cost, electricity 24/7. The low cost of the electricity produced can be maintained as the working life of a coal fired power station is 50 years and the infrastructure costs can be greatly reduced, by being spread over 50 years. Further as it is a compact structure the costly need for high voltage transmission lines connecting it to the grid, is in many cases already in place. The move to Highly Efficient Low Emissions (HELE) coal fired power stations are greatly improving their ability to provide a reliable, low cost, uninterrupted supply of electricity 24hrs a day/ 7 days a week (24/7). A VERY SUITABLE GENERATOR TO SUPPLY LOW COST, BASELOAD ELECTRICITY 24/7. https://www.ge.com/power/transform/article.transform.articles.2018.mar.come-hele-or-high-water
Gas which is a Fossil Fuel, can be piped into a power station to produce baseload electricity at a constant, even flow 24/7. It is more expensive than coal. However, in most cases gas is used to fill in at peak periods and is not used to provide electricity 24/7. As the lifetime of a gas fired power station is 50 years, the infrastructure cost can greatly reduced, by being spread over 50 years and as it is a compact structure the need for high voltage transmission lines connecting it to the grid is in many cases already in place. A VERY SUITABLE GENERATOR TO SUPPLY LOW COST, BASELOAD ELECTRICITY 24/7 OR AS REQUIRED.
Uranium is a mineral fuel which can be loaded into a power station to produce baseload electricity as a constant, even flow 24/7. Nuclear reactors can provide electricity 24/7. While the cost of the electricity is higher, as with Coal and Gas the lifetime of a Nuclear Reactor is 50 years, the infrastructure costs can be greatly reduced, by being spread over 50 years, they don’t add greatly to the cost and being a compact structure the need for high voltage transmission lines connecting it to the grid is in many cases already in place. While Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNR) are still being developed, (they have been propelling Nuclear Submarines for fifty years). Interest in producing, Greenhouse emissions free electricity is gaining a lot of importance and this could mean that SMNR’s could be commercially available much sooner, (seven years, 2030?) than may people expect as demand cuts through red tape, and speeds up production times. A VERY SUITABLE GENERATOR TO SUPPLY LOW COST, BASELOAD ELECTRICITY 24/7.
Hydro generated electricity’s fuel, is water stored in an elevated reservoir, which can be released to power a generator at a lower level 24/7. However, as water storage (should be prioritized for irrigated food production) and availability is limited (particularly in droughts), generation is usually limited to peak periods of high demand. While the cost of Hydro produced electricity should be low cost, if there is a shortage because other generators cannot produce power, (because coal generators have been shut down, the sun has set, the wind is calm) the Hydro operators can take advantage of the shortage and get high spot prices for the electricity they produce, without considering the needs of consumers. A VERY SUITABLE GENERATOR TO SUPPLY LOW COST, BASELOAD ELECTRICITY AS REQUIRED OR 24/7 IF THE WATER IS AVAILABLE.
The Sun is the weather fuel that powers Solar Panels, however Solar Panels cannot produce baseload electricity in a constant, even flow 24/7. This is because Solar Panels have a daily SHORTAGE OF FUEL, (in that the Sun only shines in Winter for nine hours a day and some days very little or none at all) leaving a black hole of fifteen hours each night with no electricity being produced. This means that Solar Panels CAN NEVER produce electricity 24/7. Who would buy a car that could not be driven between Sunset and Sunrise because it had no fuel? Or could not be driven if it was cloudy or raining? Or even worse driving down a highway, and suddenly losing power, because a cloud had come overhead? As Solar Panels only have fuel to produce electricity for a limited time each day, while for the time they do produce electricity, the subsidised cost might be cheaper for that period of time, when it is spread over 24 hours, it becomes very expensive when the cost of the standby electricity production is taken into account. E.g. Solar production 7hrs @ $1/MWH = $7 + Standby 17hrs @ $160/MWh = $2,720. Averaged over 24 hours = $113/MWh. As Solar Panels can be situated a long way from existing high voltage transmission lines there is an increased cost of building new high voltage transmission line which as present is being born by the taxpayer/electricity consumer. As for the lifetime of Solar Panels. Solar Panels only efficiently produce electricity for 100% of the time, (when the Sun is shining) for the first ten years and it gradually decreases until at twenty years they are no longer commercially viable and need replacing. Therefor the infrastructure cost is spread over a shorter period of time and the disposal cost is very costly both in dollars and the environmental cost of landfill. SOLAR PANELS SHOULD NEVER BE CONSIDERED, AS VIABLE GENERATORS AS THEY ARE UNABLE TO SUPPLY BASELOAD ELECTRICITY 24/7.
Wind is a weather fuel that drives Wind Turbines. (Because they can only produce electricity, when the wind speed is between 12kms/hr and 90kms/hr) they are reported to produce electricity on average for only 30% of their rated capacity or on average for eight hours per day, leaving random periods of hours, WITHOUT ANY ELECTRICITY BEING PRODUCED, (occasionally in some calm periods, wind turbines produce no electricity for days at a time. As Wind Turbines only have fuel to produce electricity for a limited time each day, while for the time they do produce electricity, the subsidised cost might be cheaper for that period of time, when it is spread over 24 hours, it becomes very expensive when the cost of the standby electricity production is taken into account. E.g. Wind Turbine production 7hrs @ $1/MWH = $7 + Standby 17hrs @ $160/MWh = $2,720. Averaged over 24 hours = $113/MWh. As Wind Turbines can be situated a long way from existing high voltage transmission lines there is an increased cost of building new high voltage transmission line which as present is being born by the taxpayer/electricity consumer. As for the lifetime of Wind Turbines. Wind Turbines only efficiently produce electricity for 100% of the time (when the wind is blowing at the correct speed) for 15 to 20 years, before they need replacing. (Offshore Wind Turbines suffer from being in seawater and may need replacing in a shorter period of time). Therefor the infrastructure cost is spread over a shorter period of time and the disposal cost is very costly both in dollars and the environmental cost of landfill. WIND TURBINES SHOULD NEVER BE CONSIDERED, AS A VIABLE GENERATORS AS THEY ARE UNABLE TO SUPPLY BASELOAD ELECTRICITY 24/7.
KEEP INFORMED BY DAILY MONITORING THE AEMO DATA DASHBOARD. And alert your friends to watch the AEMO dashboard, the more know what's happening the better.
Particularly at 7pm and 7am (Or a time that suits you?) watch (and record) the mix of coal, gas hydro, batteries, solar and wind generation and the prices per MWh for each State on the AEMO dashboard.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT NO CLOSED COAL FIRED POWER STATION BE DEMOLISHED AS THEY CERTAINLY WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE.
We are up to 1,526 signatures, let’s increase it by many more, everyone’s future depends on it. Continue to spread the word, to all family, friends, anyone you meet, particularly discuss it with shop and business owners. Ask the question, “How do you plan to cope when the blackouts come? Caused by this senseless Net Zero by 2038 Plan.
I would value it if you are able to donate $20 or $50 to promote the petition https://www.change.org/p/blackouts-will-be-devastating-they-must-be-avoided-at-all-costs and to also promote it on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp or Email.