500,000 business and home consumers were left without power, when violent storms hit Victoria on Tuesday Feb’ 13th. Transmission towers collapsed near Geelong causing power surges which caused the ‘safety switches’ of coal fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley to disconnect the power stations from the Grid.
While Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said that it was due to the wild weather and Renewables had no part to play.
The blackout is an indication of what is to come. Imagine if the storm was to occur when all the coal fired power stations are closed and the storm happened at night? There would have been zero solar power available and the wind turbines could not possibly fill the gap. It could have seen a total collapse of the Grid
A great sign of hope on the horizon (Thur 15th) Coalition MPs announced they wanted nuclear power plants built on the sites of coal-fired power stations to to minimise environmental impacts of massive renewable projects and transmission lines, as new research reveals nuclear reactor footprints could match existing coal plant infrastructure. Queensland Liberal National Party MPs Ted O’Brien, Keith Pitt, Colin Boyce, Llew O’Brien and Phillip Thompson backed a Coalition a nuclear approach to renewables with coal and gas maintained as baseload fuels until reactors are built. “Nuclear power stations mean tiny amounts of land used, less transmission lines and reliable affordable electricity for Australian consumers and industry when compared with intermittent wind and solar,” Mr Pitt said. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nation/politics-latest-coal-plants-perfect-for-reactors-says-coalition/live-coverage/cd115c1ac0d33407bfffc7297e801dbe
Could I recommend that this move by the Coalition deserves to be supported as much as possible. It is IMPOSSIBLE TO POWER AUSTRALIA on only eight ‘uncertain’, hours of sunshine, along with an unreliable eight hours of wind.
Could I also recommend supporting ‘Nuclear For Australia’ a website founded by eighteen year old Will Shackell with the aim of having Australia’s Nuclear Ban lifted. https://www.nuclearforaustralia.com/about_us
THE FRAGILITY OF OUR ENERGY GRID UNDERLINES WHY THE LIDDELL COAL FIRED POWER STATION SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSED
May I strongly urge all business owners, large and small. CEO’s Managers, those in charge of aged care homes, and other public institutions, everyone in a position of management. Homeowners, etc. Blackouts are a diabolically, serious issue. Talk with your management, boards, staff about how it will affect your business. Prepare plans to cope.
WE NEED TO KEEP WHAT BASE LOAD POWER WE HAVE, AND IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO CLOSE A COAL FIRED POWER STATION BEFORE RELIABLE POWER GENERATORS ARE IN PLACE.
Continue to promote our petition as widely as possible. https://www.change.org/p/blackouts-will-be-devastating-they-must-be-avoided-at-all-costs I would value it if you are able to donate $20 or $50 to promote the petition on Change.org and also promote it on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp or Email.
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.
Example: Victoria 13th February 7.00pm EDST. (After storms triggered Brown Coal power station Loy Yang A to go offline and 500,000 homes were blacked out). Batteries 0%, Biomass 0%, Brown Coal 35%, Gas 19%, Hydro 15% Diesel 0% Solar 3%, Wind 26%.
South Aust 13th February 7.00pm EDST. Batteries 0%, Biomass 0%, Gas 5%, Hydro 15% Diesel 0% Solar 12%, Wind 83%. Note: The 83% wind is at the mercy of the wind gods, as wind turbines can only produce electricity, when the wind speed is between 12kms/hr and 90kms/hr. as during a very severe gale they have to be shut down. Similarly on a cold, still night wind turbines produce next to zero electricity.
At the same time spot power prices QLD $302MWh, NSW $300 MWh, VIC $211 MWh, SA - $46 MWh, TAS $147 MWh. But Victoria reached a peak of $16,600 MWh, during the height of the storm.
An interesting sidelight, energy retailers were able to drain electricity out of Powerwall Batteries against the knowledge and agreement of the owners. So much for the benefit of having a Powerwall battery in the middle of a blackout.
We are up to 2,766 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? Are you thinking of buying a generator? I’m having second thoughts about the portable generator, but I have gas for cooking and heating. WE MUST KEEP THOSE COAL FIRED GENERATORS GOING, TO KEEP THE REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS FROM THAWING OUT.