Pace of energy transition underestimated: CleanCo
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The countryâs planners for the electricity industry have seriously underestimated the growth the power system will experience in the next 20-30 years because of electric vehicles, electrification and the rise of green metals, says the head of the Queensland governmentâs low carbon energy generator.
Maia Schweizer, chief executive of CleanCo, which has wind and solar farms and is involved in gas power generation, said decarbonisation went way beyond just the energy sector to include the whole economy, and would require a big build-out of the power system, which would need to more than double by 2050 to reach net zero emissions.
24 May 2021
The manner of the federal Coalition government’s decision to provide $600 million of taxpayer funds to Snowy Hydro’s proposed gas generator at Kurri Kurri is a disgrace.
The 660MW Kurri Kurri open gas project, assuming it will go ahead, will reinforce Snowy’s dominant position in the long duration firming market, and it will give it dominance of the NSW, Victoria and South Australia markets.
But it also flies in the face of developments in battery storage. Snowy Hydro is the only major “gentailer” not doing batteries, and its strategy seems to be based around the assumption that battery storage is not happening.
âValue for moneyâ: $3.2 billion deal for NSW to bolster solar, big new battery
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A $3.2 billion NSW government electricity contract will help foster the spread of renewable energy, including the construction of a large new battery in the stateâs Riverina region.
The 10-year contract awarded to Shell Energy and Edify Energy will result in a 100-megawatt battery being built alongside Edifyâs Darlington Point Solar Farm, which began operations earlier this year.
That solar plant, with almost 1 million panels, has enough power to supply 115,000 households and avoid more than 150,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions annually.
Value for money : $3 2 billion deal for NSW to bolster solar, big new battery brisbanetimes.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brisbanetimes.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.