'Hot air' in renewable energy debate

More than 83 per cent of South
 Australia's electricity came
from renewables earlier this month.

'Never let the facts get in the way of a lobbying position' could well apply to both sides of the 'debate' over the role of renewable energy in the South Australia that has broken out over the past week. And, while it may seem remote for many, how the issues there are resolved will be felt keenly in Victoria and NSW.

Unusual weather in South Australia, at a time when it could not turn to Victoria for additional supplies earlier this month, forced its government to take the extraordinary step of intervening in the power market. It sought a mothballed power station to be put back into service to ensure blackouts could be avoided.

It termed it a "failure in the energy market' although more realistically, it was a failure of risk management by some large power users which had turned to the spot market for their power needs and not 'hedged' their position. When the spot price surged, they turned to the government to get them out of their pickle.

Read Brian Robin’s story in the Melbourne Age - “Renewable energy 'debate' cops a lot of hot air.”