Electricity use in Australia is expected to nearly double by 2050, but the rise of battery storage has led the market operator to scale back the amount of new transmission lines it thinks will be needed to get the energy around the country.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) has released its integrated system plan – a blueprint for the optimal future grid that is updated every two years.
It again found the least-cost system would run on renewable energy supported by energy storage – batteries and pumped hydro – and new transmission lines. Fast-start gas plants would be turned on when needed as backup.
Since the last blueprint in 2024, solar energy and batteries have become cheaper and wind and transmission have become more expensive.
Aemo said under its main “step change” scenario about 6,000km of new transmission would be needed by 2050. But 1,680km of potential transmission listed in 2024 would no longer be required due to investment in generation and storage, and changes in policy.
The plan would cost about $106bn in annualised capital investment, including $6bn on new transmission lines – down from $16bn two years ago.
Aemo’s chief executive, Daniel Westerman, said:
double quotation markOver the forecast period, Australia’s ageing coal-fired power stations will close … At the same time, consumers are continuing to invest in rooftop solar and home batteries. [That] benefits all consumers by reducing the need for grid-scale investment.
Hanson says Farley’s mistaken vote alongside teals “a problem”
Pauline Hanson says she hauled new MP David Farley into her office after he voted alongside teals and Greens to wind back fuel tax credits for miners, admitting it was a “problem” and that he had made a mistake.
The One Nation leader tried to explain Farley’s vote as an error because “he’s got no staff in his office” and had suffered from the absence of colleague Barnaby Joyce - who is in London this week, instead of being in parliament.
“I had two discussions with him today… and I was point-blank with him,” Hanson told Sky host Andrew Bolt on Wednesday night.
double quotation markLook, you say, you shouldn’t be making a mistake. Can I tell you something? It is a bloody robust place in here, and the fact is, he’s got no staff in his office, Barnaby’s not around.
Farley said he mistakenly voted alongside more progressive members on an amendment to wind back fuel tax credits, and that he later unsuccessfully tried to change his vote once he realised his mistake.
Hanson said Farley has “made some previous mistakes and I’m not going to deny that, I will own it.”
double quotation markBut said to David, ‘this is a problem.. I’ve worked 30 years to get here to stand up and fight for the Australian people’. And I said, ‘your performance in there is going to reflect on me and the one nation. My members here that we’ve worked so hard to represent the Australian people’.
And he said ‘Pauline I’m orange’. He said, ‘I agree with all your policies’. And he said it was a mistake.
Hanson said she would lend Farley staff from her office next week to help out in his office.
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji with you, thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
The sitting week is ending with a bang, as teal independents Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender announce the formation of a party after months of “will they, won’t they” speculation. More on that shortly.
Australia’s spy boss, Mike Burgess, has claimed an Australian citizen working as a senior intelligence officer for Iran “orchestrated” a firebombing in Bondi, in his annual threat assessment.
And Pauline Hanson has had to explain why her colleague, the new One Nation MP David Farley, voted on with the Greens and teals to wind back fuel tax credits for miners, farmers and others.
It’s going to be another busy day. Let’s get cracking!
Anthony Albanese will address the Committee for Economic Development of Australia summit in Canberra today, insisting Labor’s appetite for tough political reforms will help restore trust in government.
Amid a surge in support for Pauline Hanson and One Nation, Albanese will argue tax reform and measures to address housing shortages around the country is difficult but necessary.
Albanese will say:
double quotation markThe easy political option in that situation is to kick the can down the road. To try and explain away, or work around, a system that isn’t working.
And while that might be the easy choice – it’s not the right one. The privilege of serving in government demands more of you than that.
Albanese will argue it is not enough to acknowledge people’s frustration.
double quotation markYou can’t just nod along while young Australians tell you that the deck is stacked against them. You have to do something to give them a fair crack. That is the choice our government has made.
Electricity use in Australia is expected to nearly double by 2050, but the rise of battery storage has led the market operator to scale back the amount of new transmission lines it thinks will be needed to get the energy around the country.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) has released its integrated system plan – a blueprint for the optimal future grid that is updated every two years.
It again found the least-cost system would run on renewable energy supported by energy storage – batteries and pumped hydro – and new transmission lines. Fast-start gas plants would be turned on when needed as backup.
Since the last blueprint in 2024, solar energy and batteries have become cheaper and wind and transmission have become more expensive.
Aemo said under its main “step change” scenario about 6,000km of new transmission would be needed by 2050. But 1,680km of potential transmission listed in 2024 would no longer be required due to investment in generation and storage, and changes in policy.
The plan would cost about $106bn in annualised capital investment, including $6bn on new transmission lines – down from $16bn two years ago.
Aemo’s chief executive, Daniel Westerman, said:
double quotation markOver the forecast period, Australia’s ageing coal-fired power stations will close … At the same time, consumers are continuing to invest in rooftop solar and home batteries. [That] benefits all consumers by reducing the need for grid-scale investment.
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
There will be plenty of politics to come but we start with good news: thanks to the recent boom in batteries connected to the national power grid, we’re going to save money on new transmission lines. That’s despite our power use being expected to nearly double in the next decade or so.
Plus: as debate still swirls around Labor’s tax changes, Domain predicts the three cities where house prices will still continue to rise, despite … everything.
Source: Guardian - World News
