No need for coal, but 100pc renewables âtoo expensiveâ: Grattan
Apr 11, 2021 â 9.00pm
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Australia does not need coal-fired power stations to keep electricity bills down, but rushing to 100 per cent renewable energy will be âexpensiveâ without major technology breakthroughs to provide back-up power during long winter wind droughts.
The findings from the Grattan Institute debunk the myth that cheap coal power stations need to be kept running to ensure power bills do not skyrocket. But they also sound a distinct note of caution against a full-on shift to an all-renewable electricity supply system.
Energy program director Tony Wood said the findings underscore that Australia should at this stage commit only to ânet zeroâ emissions in the National Electricity Market by the 2040s, rather than âabsolute zeroâ or 100 per cent renewable energy.