ALL FUELS ARE FREE -IT IS THE COST OF CONVERTING THEM INTO ELECTRICITY THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
All the Renewable Energy Projects across Australia, are being justified on the sole basis that (so called) Renewable fuels. Sunshine and Wind are free. A mantra, repeated very often by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, many other politicians and Renewable supporters.
BUT, ALL FUELS SOURCED IN AUSTRALIA, Sunshine, Wind, Coal, Gas, Water for Hydro, ARE FREE.
It is the many factors that have to be done or built to release or convert the energy contained in the fuels into electricity. Which makes all the difference in the cost of the electricity, finally produced.
1. The first consideration is the reliability of the fuel supply. Coal, gas, hydro and nuclear, can be said to have a constant supply of fuel available 24/7. Because they have coal mines, gas fields, water reservoirs and uranium mines. That can supply a constant flow of fuel 24/7.
While Sunshine and Wind, fuel supplies can be severely limited daily. In Sunshine’s case it has a daily Sunshine drought every night for 17 hours, and with clouds and rain the remaining 7 hours can be greatly reduced, to even nothing. With Wind, because of the need, for a wind speed is between 12kms/hr and 90kms/hr. The industry reports that Wind Turbines only produce electricity on average for only 35% of their rated capacity or on average for eight hours per day. Wind Turbines can be becalmed for days at a time, producing no electricity. Likewise, if a gale blows for several days no electricity is produced.
THIS UNRELIABILITY AND INTERMITTENCY MAKES RENEWABLES VERY EXPENSIVE
2. The second consideration is the density of energy in different fuels. Coal, Gas and particularly uranium store a lot of energy per kg or litre. So they require very little infrastructure to produce the electricity.
While sunshine and wind contain very little energy, per sunbeam or breeze and take a huge amount of infrastructure, to catch and convert the energy into electricity. And then batteries may be added to store surplus electricity. (Batteries lose 15% to 20% of the energy in the current conversion AC to DC – DC to AC) and then 1,000’s of kilometres of HV Transmission lines may be needed to get the electricity to where it is to be used.
THIS LACK OF DENSITY MAKES RENEWABLES VERY EXPENSIVE
The above very serious comments, underline why our petition: TO STOP THE CLOSURE OF ALL THE AUSTRALIAN COAL FIRED POWER STATIONS AND TO KEEP THEM RUNNING IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
This includes Eraring NOW 2029, 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.
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: Eastern States 28/3/26 8.10pm AESDST.. Batteries 8%, Biomass 0%, Black Coal 46% Brown Coal 19%, Gas 3%, Hydro 10% Diesel 0% Solar 0%, Wind 11%. 8.10pm a time when solar is well into its average 17 hour, sunshine drought and wind might join it (as it is doing in NSW and QLD, only on 1% wind), in having a wind drought.
Meanwhile our coal fired generators are the backbone of the Grid. 28/3/26 8.10pm AESDST. In NSW coal is producing 78% Solar 0%, Wind 4%, Qld coal 73%, solar 0% wind 4% Vic Brown coal 69%, solar 0%, wind 27%. SA batteries 33%, gas 44%, solar 0%, wind 23% and Tas hydro 88%, wind 12%.
WITHOUT COAL AUSTRALIA WOULD BE BLACKED OUT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME SOME GENERATROS ARE BEING RUN AT A LOSS. As shown by these statistics what the generators are receiving for their Grid electricity. 28/3/26 8.10pm AESDST. In Qld the generators are only receiving $0.70MWh. NSW is being paid $37.89Mwh. SA is paying minus $4.00MWh (the generator is paying the Grid to take the power) Vic is paying minus $4.75MWh (the generator is paying the Grid to take the power) and Tas is paying $72.24MWh.
WHO WOULD WANT TO RUN AN ELECTRICITY GENERATOR AT A LOSS!
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
In the current fuel crisis our petition is getting traction, we are up to 4,664 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