The Victorian Government has a plan to meet the ‘mythical’ target of Net Zero (Green House Gas Emissions) by 2045. To do this it has decided to close all of its Brown Coal Fired Power Stations (BCFPS)(which are currently 20/5/25 producing 58% of the States electricity, And replace them with a “Renewables System” of rooftop solar, solar farms, wind farm, Lithium Ion Batteries, all linked by hundreds of kilometres of HV Transmission Lines.
As shown by this download from the AEMO Data website this is a nonsensical decision - Victoria 20th May 2025 5.55pm AEST. Batteries 0%, Brown Coal 62%, Gas 16%, Hydro 21% Solar 0%, Wind 5%. With Batteries, Solar and Wind only producing 5% of Victoria’s electricity needs.
To achieve this target of 1. Net Zero by 2045, the State Government has appointed a Government body “VicGrid” to oversee the ‘Transition’, who in turn have released a Draft 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan. Comments on Vic Transmission Plan can be lodged by 24th June2025. For more info and a copy of the Plan https://engage.vic.gov.au/victransmissionplan A part of the Government’s Plan is to ensure Victoria’s electricity system is 2. affordable, 3. reliable, 4. safe and 5. sustainable.
But, I believe for these reasons below, this move from Coal to Renewables is completely the wrong decision to make and in the process will end in disaster for all Victorians.
1. Achieving Net Zero? For Victoria to try to achieve Net Zero by 2045 is completely worthless. As Co2 (which has shown to not be a driver, in increased World temperatures), only consists of 0.4% of the atmosphere and Australia only provides 1.4% of the World’s total. While China, India, Russia, Indonesia and the USA pump out over 60%, of the World’s total increasing every month.
2. Affordable? Compare a coal fired power station, built on a small area of land, adjacent to a coal mine, connected to existing power lines, with no risk of starting fires or flooding. With Victoria through VicGrid is planning to cover 7% of Victoria’s land mass, with Solar Farms, Wind Farms, Batteries and HV Transmission Lines. This 7% of land will be permanently polluted, the economic loss will run into hundreds of $billions, which will continue, each year, indefinitely, for a 100 years or more).
3. Reliable? All Renewables are unreliable. Solar because its weather fuel Sunshine, is only available for 6 to 8 hours a day (and with cloud and rain, little or nothing for days). Wind, because its weather fuel wind speed, has to within a range of 12km/hr and 90km/hr. Because of gales and wind droughts, average generation of Wind turbines is only an unreliable, intermittent 33% or 8 hours a day. Batteries, do not generate any electricity of their own, they only store surplus electricity. But even then they lose between 10% to 15% through Inverters converting DC to AC current. Batteries only hold an hour or two of electricity. When discharged they are useless until they are recharged which takes several hours.
4. Safe. All Renewables being highly electrified, create a great fire hazard, particularly in Victoria, during Summer and the Fire Danger season. Wind turbines on 280m towers, if they catch fire are very difficult to contain, as are Solar Farms because of the sheer quantity of solar panels involved, the toxic smoke released and the difficulty in containing such fires. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) made up of 150 individual container sized batteries, are being included with every Solar and Wind Farm, as well as being individually sited. Batteries made of Lithium Ion, create a dangerous fire hazard, as if they are overcharged, can burst into a run-a-way fire, which cannot be extinguished with water, gives off very toxic smoke, reignites often and may burn for days.
5. Sustainable? Renewables have a very short production life compared to fossil fueled generators. Solar Farms need to be sited on large areas of productive farm land and only have a generating life of 15 to 20 years. Wind Farms take up an even larger areas of productive farm land, with a generating life of 15 to 20 years. BESS’s have a short life of 10 years. All have to be joined together by HV Transmission Lines, which degrade, productive farmland and disfigure forests and environmental areas. Compared to coal and gas fired generators, which along with nuclear reactors can supply a constant supply of baseload electricity 24hrs/day, 7days/week for 60 to 90 years of electricity generation.
The 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan will be a DISASTER FOR VICTORIA and should not be allowed to proceed.
AS THE DISASTER OF THE RENEWABLES BECOMES MORE APPARENT. IT BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT THAT OUR PETITION TO STOP THE CLOSURE OF MORE AUSTRALIAN COAL FIRED POWER STATIONS HAS TO BE HEARD.
This includes Eraring NOW 2027, Yallourn NOW 2032), Bayswater in 2033, with Loyang A in 2045 and all other coal fired power stations.
And no consideration of them being closed be considered until assured supplies of base load electricity 24/7 is available from coal, gas or uranium powered generators. Even if this requires the coal fired generators be compulsory acquired by the relevant Government, in the National interest and to maintain the supply of base load electricity 24/7 that is essential to STOP the Grid from collapsing.
OUR PETITION TO KEEP OUR COAL FIRED POWER STATIONS RUNNING. Is educating everyone of how important coal fired power stations are to keeping the Grid from crashing.
https://www.change.org/p/blackouts-will-be-devastating-they-must-be-avoided-at-all-costs
YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR PETITION WITH DONATIONS WILL BE REPAID WITH BASELOAD ELECTRICITY FOR THE NEXT CRITICAL FIFTEEN TO TWENTY YEARS. Be it $10, $20, $50 or $100 please make a donation and keep our petition in the public eye. AND KEEP THE BLACKOUTS AT BAY. The more signatures we get the more wins will keep coming and the coal fired power stations will be kept running. Promote the petition on Change.org and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp or Email.
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: Eastern States 20th May 2025 5.55pm AEST. Batteries 4%, Biomass 0%, Black Coal 43% Brown Coal 13%, Gas 16%, Hydro 18% Diesel 1% Solar 0%, Wind 5%. 5.55pm a time when Solar has entered a daily 16 hours (lack of fuel), zero production period. Unreliable wind is all over the place averaging 5%, but ranging from only 0% in Vic, up to 10% in NSW.
To underline the importance of our coal fired generators 20/05/25, 5.55 pm AEST. In NSW coal is producing 65% Solar 0%, Wind 10%, Qld coal 67%, solar 0% wind 1% Vic Brown coal 59%, solar 0%, wind 0%. SA batteries 8%, gas 74%, solar 0%, wind 9% and Tas hydro 92%, wind 5%.
WITHOUT COAL AUSTRALIA WOULD BE BLACKED OUT.
STOP PRESS: WHAT CAN HAPPEN. South Australia 4th June 2024 9.05pm EST. Batteries 0%, Gas 97%, Diesel 3% Solar 0%, Wind 0%.
SA RENEWABLES CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA WITH BATTERIES, SOLAR AND WIND PRODUCING NO ELECTRICITY, ZERO, NOTHING
We are up to 4,322 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? The possibility is too awful to contemplate.
WE MUST KEEP THOSE COAL FIRED GENERATORS GOING, TO KEEP OUR SOCIETY FROM HAVING BLACKOUTS, POWER RATIONING AND EXHORBITENT ENERGY PRICES.