SA weather: Safety settings caused wind farms to reduce output during SA's blackout, regulator says

A wild storm that smashed through SA
damaged vital infrastructure,
contributing to a state-wide blackout.

Safety settings that kicked in during SA's wild storms caused a number of wind farms to disconnect or reduce their output in the lead up to the statewide blackout, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has said.

But it said the most well-known characteristic of wind power — variation of output with wind strength — was not a material factor in the blackout.

South Australia was plunged into darkness with some parts losing power for days — after a mid-latitude cyclone smashed through SA in late September, damaging vital infrastructure.

A preliminary AEMO report said severe weather, including high winds, thunderstorms, lightning strikes, hail and heavy rainfall, resulted in multiple transmission system faults.

Read the ABC story - “SA weather: Safety settings caused wind farms to reduce output during SA's blackout, regulator says.”