Coal-fired plants close, then prices fall
Before Northern closed, South Australia had Australia’s highest price.
Five years after the closure of Northern in 2016, and four years after the closure of Hazelwood in 2017, South Australia and Victorian have wholesale prices one-third lower than those in NSW and two-fifths lower than those in Queensland.
Something happened after the closure (largely as a result of the closure) that forced prices down.
South Australia became a renewables powerhouse.
The Australian National University’s Hugh Saddler points out that renewable-sourced power – wind and grid-scale solar and rooftop solar – now accounts for 75% of South Australia’s needs, and at times for all its needs.
Electricity has become a jigsaw in Australia and coal isn t best to fill the missing pieces
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Nationwide, wind and solar including rooftop solar supplies 20 per cent of our needs.
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When the early closure of Victoria s second-biggest coal-fired power station was announced last week, something the energy minister said was less than complete.
Yallourn, in the Latrobe Valley, provides up to 20 per cent of Victoria s power. It has been operating for 47 years. Since late 2017 at least one of its four units has broken down 50 times. Its workforce doubles for three to four months most years to deal with the breakdowns. It pumps out 3 per cent of Australia s carbon emissions.
Electricity has become a jigsaw Coal is unable to provide the missing pieces anu.edu.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from anu.edu.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.