Power games: The quick fix and unanswered questions on electricity

Let's assume that at some point in February next year it will reach 45 degrees in south-east Australia.

Hazelwood shut its doors on Saturday. 

Let's assume it will be more than 43 degrees for three days running. Let's assume you are unlucky and the temperature tops 40 degrees for a week or more.

Extreme heat is a test. It tests people and the systems they rely on, not least the electricity system. A question being asked across the country at the moment is: in a post-Hazelwood world, how will the national electricity grid cope as we seek comfort by cranking up our airconditioners during times of extreme heat?

And what can be done to make sure it runs smoothly, not just next summer but in future summers as more coal plants inevitably shut and we move to a cleaner electricity grid?

Read the analysis by Adam Morton in today’s Melbourne Age - “Power games: The quick fix and unanswered questions on electricity.”