Giles Parkinson is a journalist of 30 years experience, a former Business Editor and Deputy Editor of the Financial Review, a columnist for The Bulletin magazine and The Australian, and the former editor of Climate Spectator.
Australian Energy Market Operator says enquiries for new wind and solar projects up 50-fold in recent months, based on economics, not environment.
AEMO and ARENA again plead for changes to market rules to keep pace with extraordinary change of technology. Australia’s over-buit grid is locked in 20th century, with much capacity sitting idle and peaking plants trying to recoup a year’s revenue in just a few hours.
The plunging cost of solar and storage present a huge threat to the business models of incumbent utilities. But the biggest threat to their future is their own greed, and the invitation to consumers to look at alternatives.
New Arizona contract reveals record low price for large scale solar in US, and stunning reduction in cost of battery storage. The new combined solar and storage deal of below 4.5c/kWh cuts previous prices by more than 60% – far cheaper than a peaking gas plant.
Coalition seeks feedback on Port Augusta solar tower funding, but already appears to have agreed to equity funds rather than loan.
Pacific Hydro looks to fund new wind, solar and hydro developments with multi-currency fund raising.
ARENA switches focus of solar PV support back to R&D, in bid to achieve more cost savings and ensure solar can provide nearly one third of Australia’s electricity within 15 years.
CEC throws support behind proposal to buy out premium feed in tariffs in exchange for a battery storage device, and says storage does not need new subsidies, but widespread reform to bring the country’s energy market into the 21st Century.
The energy rule-maker’s dystopian view of our immediate energy future underlines the growing divide on the future of renewables. There are those who see them as key to a smarter, cheaper, cleaner and more reliable grid. And other who simply believe it can’t be done.
Flow battery storage manufacturer Redflow abandons bulk home battery market due to price issues, to focus on bigger installations in commercial, industrial and off-grid sector.
In what’s being called a “breakthrough moment”, AEMO and ARENA team up to provide 100MW demand response capacity to meet next summer’s critical peaks. The program will focus on technologies like solar and storage in a way previously ignored by policy makers.
