Energy plan keeps the coal fires burning as long as possible

Australian households must prepare for a mammoth overhaul of the nation’s electricity grid as investment surges into renewable energy, sparking a new call to keep coal-fired power stations running for decades to help with the transition.

Energy reliability will require that the life of coal-fired
 power stations be extended, according to the report.

The nation’s energy market operator has warned that Australians are exposed “more than ever” to the risks and costs of the disruption as it sets out a series of major projects needed to improve the capacity and reliability of the electricity grid.

With almost 80 per cent of new energy projects using wind and solar generation, the peak regulator has outlined a sweeping investment plan including new transmission lines, battery storage and expanded hydro-electric projects to cope with the change.

Read the story from The Age by  David Crowe - “Energy plan keeps the coal fires burning as long as possible.”