Andrew Blakers, Author at Renew Economy

Andrew Blakers

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Andrew Blakers is professor of engineering, Australian National University.

Commentary

What will night-time electricity generation look like in 2030?
With most Australian coal set to will retire over the next five years, we need a plan for how a majority renewables grid can meet night-time load by 2030.
Andrew Blakers

Nov 25, 2025

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Commentary

Snowy 2.0: Energy storage for one cent per person per day
The cost increases means that Snowy 2.0 has gone from bargain of the century to merely a very good technical and economic investment.
Andrew Blakers

Oct 7, 2025

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Commentary

How pumped hydro could help get South Australia all the way to 100 pct renewables
South Australia could benefit from pumped hydro energy storage as it tracks towards 100% average solar and wind in 2027. And it has some Class A sites.
Andrew Blakers

Jul 3, 2025

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Commentary

How pumped hydro could cover for “wet and windless” weeks in the West
South-west WA needs large-scale, long-duration energy storage for overnight storage and “wet windless weeks in winter”. The cheapest option is pumped hydro.
Andrew Blakers

Jun 20, 2025

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Chart of the day

Chart of the day: Australia tops the world on solar generation per capita
Australia is generating more solar energy per capita than any other country according to latest data from Ember. And it’s in 4th place for combined solar and wind.
Andrew Blakers

Apr 16, 2025

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Chart of the day

Chart of the Day: Australia is the global solar pathfinder, because it has to be
Australia is the global solar pathfinder because it has to be, and because it has demonstrated that it is straightforward and low cost.
Andrew Blakers

Apr 1, 2025

17
Commentary

Pumped hydro doesn’t have to be expensive: If it is, it might be in the wrong spot
Australian pumped hydro project proposals tend not to be located at premium sites, which translates to higher costs. A new paper explains.
Andrew Blakers

Mar 3, 2025

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Commentary

Trickle recharging using a combination of pumped hydro and battery storage can get rid of gas
A hybrid system that uses trickle-recharging between big batteries and pumped hydro provides very cheap energy storage and cheap storage power. Gas cannot compete.
Andrew Blakers

Feb 20, 2025

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Commentary

Best option for ditched Queensland pumped hydro project less than half the cost claimed by premier
Despite the strange claims made by the new Queensland premier, the best option for the ditched Pioneer Burdekin project were half those cited.
Andrew Blakers

Nov 18, 2024

0
Commentary

Global solar and wind generation will soon overtake nuclear and hydro
Over the past decade, global solar generation has grown ninefold while wind generation has tripled. In contrast, hydro, nuclear and coal generation have barely moved.
Andrew Blakers

May 24, 2024

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Commentary

No threat to farm land: Claims that Australia does not have room for solar and wind are not true
Australia needs 1,200 square kilometres for wind and solar. The area devoted to agriculture is about 3,500 times larger.
Andrew Blakers

Apr 30, 2024

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Renewables

Solar is now being installed faster than any technology in history
At current installation rates, solar will pass fossil gas in 2024 and coal in 2025. Technologies like nuclear would require “magical growth rates” to compete.
Andrew Blakers

Apr 29, 2024

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