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More transmission please, the planners forgot about solar

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It is now abundantly clear that not enough transmission was built before solar got going in Victoria and NSW.

The above graph shows a rolling 90 day average of actual exports northward from Victoria to NSW between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, and the prescribed limit from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

These times were chosen because that’s when solar operates, and it’s clear that there is not much headroom.

I will leave others to decide what to do about it, but it’s quite possible that the situation will get worse before it gets better.

That’s because when Stage 1 of the Project Energy Connect – the new link between South Australia and NSW – is completed then more power can flow South and East, but no more can flow North.

VRE production, Source: NEM Review

Solar is seasonally soft, but this year there has been a wind drought.

Of course the anti-renewables crowd will point to this, but I am fairly confident that when some of the 3 GW of wind projects in Queensland come online over the next 18 months, the fact that Queensland’s wind does well in winter will be a help.

VRE by fuel. Source: NEM Review

Spot prices. Source: NEM review

Vic futures. Source: NEM Review

David Leitch is a regular contributor to Renew Economy and co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. He is principal at ITK, specialising in analysis of electricity, gas and decarbonisation drawn from 33 years experience in stockbroking research & analysis for UBS, JPMorgan and predecessor firms.

David Leitch

David Leitch is a regular contributor to Renew Economy and co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. He is principal at ITK, specialising in analysis of electricity, gas and decarbonisation drawn from 33 years experience in stockbroking research & analysis for UBS, JPMorgan and predecessor firms.

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