AEMO to model rapid transition to renewables, quicker exit from coal

The Australian Energy Market Operator is to include modelling for a rapid transition to renewables, a quicker exit from coal generation, and even a zero emissions grid as part of its next Integrated System Plan.

The commitment to a “step change” scenario – as it has been tentatively named – has been made by AEMO in a series of workshops and consultations with industry members over the past few weeks to discuss what inputs should be included in its next ISP, which is designed to be the 20-year blueprint for the electricity grid.

Importantly, this call for scenario planning to a more rapid shift to a renewables-dominated grid comes not from climate activists, green groups or renewables advocates, but from the incumbent fossil fuel generators and utilities themselves – who admit that the current planning blueprint does not take into account climate change and the realities of Australia’s ageing coal fleet.

Read the story from RenewEconomy by Giles Parkinson - “AEMO to model rapid transition to renewables, quicker exit from coal."

CSIRO/AEMO study says wind, solar and storage clearly cheaper than coal

Australia’s leading scientific research group and the country’s energy market operator have released a benchmark study that shows the cost of new wind and solar – even with hours of storage – is “unequivocally” lower than the cost of new coal generation.

The joint study – GenCost 2018 – by the CSIRO and AEMO shows that the levellised cost of energy (LCOE) of solar and wind is well below that of any other generation source.

Even adding two and six hours of storage with batteries or pumped hydro still leaves the cost of “firm” solar and wind power cheaper than any fossil fuel alternative.

Read the story from RenewEconomy by Giles Parkinson - “CSIRO/AEMO study says wind, solar and storage clearly cheaper than coal.”

Origin says solar cheaper than coal, moving on from base-load

Origin Energy says the cost of wind and solar farms has fallen so far it is now cheaper than the marginal cost of coal generation, and the company is moving on from the concept of “24/7 base-load”.

Wind and solar is cheaper than the marginal cost of coal generation.

The assessment was made by Greg Jarvis, the company’s head of energy trading and operations, in an interview for RenewEconomy’s popular Energy Insiders podcast, published on Tuesday.

“I have been in this game for so long … the one thing I have seen is just the cost of renewables really change the game,” Jarvis says. “It is amazing what we have been seeing.

Read the story by Giles Parkinson from RenewEconomy - “Origin says solar cheaper than coal, moving on from base-load.”