Dylan McConnell, Author at RenewEconomy

Dylan McConnell

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Commentary

Should we worry about wasting renewables? Why “spilling” excess power is expected – and efficient
At face value, energy “spilling” seems like a terrible waste of solar and wind, especially in light of the pressing need to reduce emissions. But the story is more complex.
Dylan McConnell

Jun 5, 2024

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Renewables

Australia’s energy market operator is worried about grid reliability. Should it be?
AEMO says there’s an “urgent need for investment” to meet grid reliability requirements. But is this reason to panic?
Dylan McConnell

Feb 23, 2023

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Snowy Hydro and its consultants get so much wrong in Kurri Kurri defence
Snowy Hydro’s response to submissions to its controversial Kurri Kurri gas generator is riddled with obvious and important errors.
Dylan McConnell

Aug 12, 2021

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Policy & Planning

Australia’s states have been forced to go it alone on renewable energy, but it’s a risky strategy
Several Australian states are going it alone on the the energy transition, forced to act on renewables after the federal government effectively vacated the policy space.
Dylan McConnell

Dec 1, 2020

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Policy & Planning

Australia has met its renewable energy target. But don’t pop the champagne
Energy minister Angus Taylor says investment in renewable energy is not slowing down. This bold claim flies in the face of the evidence.
Dylan McConnell

Sep 8, 2019

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Other Good Stuff

Amid blackout scare stories, remember that a grid without power cuts is impossible… and expensive
Mainstream media reporting about risks of blackouts is misleading and irresponsible, and could lead to costly “gold plating” of the generation sector.
Dylan McConnell

Aug 28, 2018

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A month in, Tesla’s SA battery is surpassing expectations
A month into operation, the Tesla lithium-ion battery at Neoen wind farm in Hornsdale, South Australia is already providing essential grid services.
Dylan McConnell

Jan 16, 2018

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Commentary

Yes, the Tesla battery is massive, but it can do much more beside
Many are now watching to see what impact the battery has on the SA electricity market, and whether it could be a game-changer nationally.
Dylan McConnell

Dec 5, 2017

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Storage

Our power grid is crying out for capacity, but should we open the gas valves?
With high gas prices partly to blame for the electricity blackouts that hit SA this month, and gas-fired generators caught short in NSW two days later, there are calls for Australia’s onshore gas to flow much more freely.
Dylan McConnell

Feb 24, 2017

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Coal

Closing Victoria’s Hazelwood power station is no threat to electricity supply
While we don’t know whether Hazelwood will close yet, we do know that Australia could easily replace the energy, and it could make a substantial difference to our carbon emissions.
Dylan McConnell

Sep 27, 2016

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