blackout Archives - Renew Economy

Renewables

Inertia is the new baseload: Spain’s full blackout report debunks core claims of anti-renewable brigade
Inertia is the new baseload: Almost every critic of Spain’s renewable energy got their blackout facts wrong.
Ketan Joshi

Jun 19, 2025

12
Regulator says AEMO made errors, but not to blame for South Australia blackout
Regulator report critical of AEMO’s actions in the lead-up to South Australia’s System Black in 2016, but says it was not to blame for state-wide blackout.
Giles Parkinson

Dec 14, 2018

0
Markets

Victorian networks blow a fuse in heatwave – Coalition blows its mind on Twitter
Victoria’s blackouts on Sunday had nothing to do with any crisis of energy supply – coal, renewable or otherwise. But why let the truth get in the way of a good smear campaign?
Sophie Vorrath

Jan 29, 2018

93
Coal

NSW coal fleet feels the heat, with state at risk of “system black”
NSW grid at risk of blackout from soaring temperatures – despite, and possibly because of, the state relies on coal generation more than any other grid in the world.
Sophie Vorrath

Dec 19, 2017

5
Featured

Coal-reliant NSW faces rolling blackouts as accusations fly in South Australia
Coal-dependent NSW faces rolling blackouts on Friday as temperatures soar to 45C, after similar problems in renewable-rich South Australia. But the biggest problem is that we get dumb politics, and a dumb grid because of it.
Giles Parkinson & Sophie Vorrath

Feb 9, 2017

170
Markets

AEMO’s defence of “we didn’t know” underscores case for change
AEMO’s latest report reinforces Alan Finkel’s assessment that Australia’s grid is not fit for 21st century, and needs rapid change. Its chairman compares fossil fuel plants to petrol cars, and struggles to accept the pace of technology change. You won’t find a fuel cap on an electric car.
Giles Parkinson

Dec 12, 2016

23
Renewables

Blackout reality check: Coal and extra link may not have changed anything
Critics of renewables don’t understand that a coal-fired power station and even extra link through NSW may not have avoided the SA blackout.
Hugh Saddler

Oct 7, 2016

7
South Australian blackout: renewables aren’t a threat to energy security, they’re the future
Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg have emphasised the importance of energy security following SA blackout. But do these politicians really know what energy security means in a modern energy landscape?
Samantha Hepburn

Oct 5, 2016

2
Storage

Coalition launches fierce attack against wind and solar after blackout
Ideology rules as Coalition, One Nation and Xenophon use South Australia blackout as an excuse to launch new attack on wind and solar. Turnbull and Frydenberg repeat call for Labor states to cancel “unrealistic” renewable targets.
Giles Parkinson

Sep 29, 2016

50
Smart Energy

What caused South Australia’s state-wide blackout?
Power is gradually returning to South Australia after wild storms blew across the state last night. So, what did cause South Australia’s blackout?
The Conversation

Sep 29, 2016

10
Smart Energy

How the South Australia blackout occurred: what the data tells us
When catastrophic failures occur, people quickly demand explanations and start to point fingers. Sometimes it’s best to check the data.
Bruce Mountain

Sep 29, 2016

36
Is ABC’s Chris Uhlmann the new face of the anti-wind lobby?
A predictable reaction to blackout in South Australia was that wind energy would be blamed. Who expected the ABC to lead that charge?
Giles Parkinson

Sep 29, 2016

62