#Official Energy Thread

[SBD]

So today, the Labor opposition blames the government's plan to build an interconnector to NSW as the reason the project failed. One quote somewhere even managed to place the blame on the Liberal Opposition for announcing that plan before the election (as the original funding deadline was 1 Feb last year (before the election).

Yet further up this page, we see a news story from September 2016 that includes

"We need stronger physical links into the rest of the National Energy Market so South Australia can continue to increase its supply of wind and solar power and sell it into the national grid," Mr Weatherill said.

So the current Labor leadership says that Steven Marshall is to blame because he adopted Labor's policy.

[rev]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 77929f0fc9

Local groups in fierce resistance to $300m Barossa wind farm

A $300 million wind farm near Kapunda would threaten wombat and endangered pygmy blue tongue lizards, decimate house values and be a blight on the landscape, residents say.

The State Commission Assessment Panel is meeting in Tanunda today, to hear from locals affected by RES Australia’s plans for the Twin Creek Wind Farm.

The company is planning to build 51 wind turbines on a 5600ha area of sheep grazing and cereal cropping land, about 11km northeast of Kapunda in the Mid North.

Residents say they believe the turbines would create extra frost that they fear could harm farmland and vineyards in the Barossa Valley.

They also flagged worries about traffic issues, plummeting house values and the potential for their sleep to be disturbed by noise from the turbines.

Wendy Oliver, who lives 2.2km from the closest turbines, said the “unusually densely series of wind turbines” would be ugly to look at, and their noise would affect locals’ lifestyles.

It could create traffic issues on local roads — particularly when farmers were moving equipment.

“The endangered pygmy blue tongue lizards will be decimated by the construction process,” she said.

“My major concern will be the frost risk.”

The turbines would be up to 180m tall, and the project was expected to employ more than 480 people during construction.

Hansborough man Brad Hancock said real estate agents had told him his house value would take a huge hit if the wind farm went ahead.

“Our home has been built purposely for the panoramic views,” Mr Hancock said.

Andrew McKinnon, of Bagot Well, said the towers would be “enormous”.

“I don’t think anyone has really grasped the impact of this on the Barossa,” Mr McKinnon said.

“The Barossa risk is significant and it places a lot of jobs and vineyards at risk,” Mr McKinnon said.

Wombat Awareness Organisation founder Brigitte Stevens was concerned about the project’s impact on southern hairy-nosed wombats, which had burrows in the area.

“By the time they put in all the trenches and the roads, the wombats aren’t going to stand a chance,” Ms Stevens said.

“The wombats are just going to move to farming properties and could succumb to disease or stress.”

Kym Mosey, of Twin Creek, whose family would lease some of its land to RES for the wind farm, was visibly upset while addressing the panel on the issues that appeared to have divided some in the community.

He said the majority of speakers represented the minority in the community.

Countless local businesses had closed over recent years, he said, and the development would provide a vital shot in the arm for employment and the economy.

“Country towns are dying … with the need for residents to more populated areas for employment,” Mr Mosey said.

“I’m not asking my neighbours to embrace coal mining or coal seam gas. It’s RES Australia, a family-owned business with an international, credible track record.”

RES Australia’s Dan Leahy said the company’s plans had been modified to take into account the concerns, including cutting 40 turbines from its proposal.

These were largely in the part of the development which was most likely to impact the lizards’ habitat.

The company would also build its remaining planned infrastructure around habitat for animals such as the lizards and wombats.

RES Australia also wanted to set up a conservation site on in the area to create a protected habitat to offset the development’s impacts.

The panel will make a recommendation to Planning Minister Stephan Knoll on whether the project should be approved.

[SouthAussie94]

How could/would wind turbines cause more frost?

[PeFe]

Wind causes less frost.....here is a Wikipedia article to explain why.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost

That article from The Advertiser made me cringe...the journalist took the sensationalist road "Fierce Opposition to Wind Farms!!!!"
10 people holding placards.... and as for their claims....

"Wind farms will decimate house prices"....well there have been no reports of that happening elsewhere in South Australia and there are 14 wind farms.

"Wildlife will be killed".....local wildlife would face far more danger from cars and vegetation clearing for farming than from wind farms, at least wombats can burrow next to wind farms fairly safely...try doing that next to a road.

"I live 2.2 kilometres away and it will affect my lifestyle....ugly wind farms and noise".......well we all cant live in the middle of no-where and have nothing of modern life within viewing distance. Just imagine trying these arguments in Adelaide (or Sydney or Melbourne!!!!)

Nimby-ism at its ignorant worst...

[mattblack]

Well now 100% renewable will be law. Inevitable economic benefits that this brings.

South Australia to enshrine 100 pct net renewable target in law as BHP looks to double smelting capacity.

The South Australia Labor government is to enshrine its world-leading 100 per cent net renewable energy target into law, as mining giant BHP looks to double its refining and smelting capacity in the state.

The state is already a world leader with more than 70 per cent of its local demand met by wind and solar, and it recently accelerated its target of 100 per cent net renewables from 2030 to 2027, when a new transmission link to NSW will be completed.

Other states and countries have higher renewable shares but they are supported by hydro, or geothermal. South Australia will be the first to reach 100 per cent renewables delivered only by wind and solar, with storage and a diminishing amount of gas capacity as back up and reserve.

The significant reductions in South Australia’s fossil fuel use on the grid – and the emission reductions that have achieved with it – have inspired it to upgrade its 2030 climate targets to a 60 per cent cut below 2005 levels, and lock in its 2050 net zero target into law.

“While these are ambitious goals, SA has reduced emissions substantially already, with a more than 50 per cent reduction since 2005 in the last reporting period,” deputy premier and climate minister Susan Close said in a statement.

“This is largely to the credit of SA’s renewable sector, and the bill includes the updated target of 100 per cent net renewable electricity generation target by 2027.”

Close says that the legislation will send a clear signal to the community, investors and business about the Government’s commitment to a net zero emissions future.

“When the Act commenced in 2007, it was the first of its kind in Australia and helped our state to become the global leader in renewable energy generation and climate mitigation.”

Critics of renewable energy – and variable power sources such as wind and solar in particular – say the technology cannot support a modern economy. But the evidence in South Australia proves otherwise.

The state’s transmission company, ElectraNet, has said it is fielding enquiries from businesses looking to add around 2,000 MW of load to the state’s grid – about double its average load – and were attracted to the state’s low carbon grid, and the falling wholesale power prices, as well as its reliability.

The state government released data on Friday which showed that business investment in the latest quarter, was $2.5 billion, more than 15 per cent higher than at the time of the 2022 State Election, and showed growth that was 4 percentage points higher than the national average.

And state energy minister Tom Koutsantonis has also flagged the decision by BHP to potentially double the size of the already huge Olympic Dam copper mine, and its refining and smelting operations in the state.

Koutsantonis says a final investment decision on those plans will not be made for another three years. “But we do know that this proposed development comes at a time when our state is ideally positioned to capitalise on the massive opportunity emerging in the global effort to decarbonise.”

“Our state is home to more than two-thirds of Australia’s total copper resources, and its emergence as a Tier One copper province could ensure we have a significant role in meeting the predicted surge in international demand for copper required by the global energy transition.”

BHP has already taken major steps to ensure that its Olympic Dam are operations are powered by renewables.

It has an off take agreement with Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, and it has also signed a “baseload” renewables contract with Neoen, for a continuous supply of 70 MW of green energy from its 412 MW Goyder South wind project and the 237 MW, 475 MWh Blyth battery, which are both near completion.

BHP made an underlying profit of nearly $1 billion from its South Australia copper operations in the last financial year, following the purchase of the Oz Minerals assets.

It says an initial upgrade to a two-stage smelter, which would enable capacity growth to more than 500,000 tones, would enable it to unlock approximately $2.2 billion of total synergies from its Oz Minerals acquisition.

It is also looking at further expansion of BHP’s smelting and refining capacity, to align that capacity with potential growth at its Oak Dam and Olympic Dam assets.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... -capacity/

[rev]

This probably belongs in a cost of living crisis thread more so, but eh..

Renewables will save the day! Just don't ask which day, because that day never seems to arrive.
We're meant to be a first world country, an advanced and developed economy, and we have millions of people cutting back on food and other necessities to pay their power bills which are out of control.

Adelaide residents explain the hardships they face trying to pay every rising power bills
Pensioners and other South Aussies reveal their battle to pay energy charges as prices keep rising, with one pensioner saying they don’t “have a lazy $1200 or $1300 lying around”.
Natalie Vikhrov
,
Douglas Smith
and
Agnes Gichuhi
5 min read
September 5, 2024 - 5:30AM

Moving around without power is a struggle for Paralowie pensioner Rick Wahlheim.
Mr Wahlheim, 73, lost both his legs to diabetes and now relies on electricity-powered devices to start his day.
His wife Lyn Wahlheim said that without power they “can’t lift him out of bed”.
“His bed needs power to lift it up and down,” she said.

“He’s got a motorised wheelchair that needs to have power.”
But paying the power bills has been getting tougher and tougher for the couple, with Mr Wahlheim on a disability pension.

Their bills have increased from around $900 to $1200 but despite switching energy providers this year, the dollar figure has continued to rise. The last bill was $1400.
“I normally try and pay half and then the next payday, I’ll pay the other half. But in between … you get the emails, plus the SMSs, plus the phone call to tell you that your bill is still outstanding, so you’ve got the added stress of basic harassment,” Mrs Wahlheim said.
“They don’t seem to understand that pensioners don’t have a lazy $1200 or $1300 lying around every time the power bill comes.”
Years ago, the couple paid $15,000 to have solar panels installed but their current rebate is a meagre $3.

The couple received the $255 government energy rebate this week but Mrs Wahlheim said the subsidy was “a drop in the ocean” and they’ve been forced to cut back on food and heating.
It comes as some of the state’s most iconic businesses have revealed how much power hikes are crippling their companies.
Drakes, Seeley International and Angove Family Winemakers are among the businesses that are grappling with increases of up to 60 per cent.
The Advertiser surveyed several households around Adelaide to see how ordinary South Australians are dealing with rising electricity costs.
St Kitts mother-of-four Heather Carter has seen her power bills grow from $400 a quarter to $250 a month.
She now uses a smart meter that predicts power prices for different times of the day.
“During the day, I’ll see that it’s jumping up to 57 cents a kilowatt an hour but at night time it’s down at 22,” she said.
“So instead of doing my dishes and washing during the day, I’m putting it off and I’m doing it 9 o’clock at night because of the difference in the price.
“It’s extending my days by that extra hour or two and I’m already so busy.”
Ms Carter said in the past she’s had to borrow money from her family to make ends meet.
Alberton resident, David Benfell, 70, said he and his wife were hit with their “biggest power bill” ever on Tuesday, after receiving a combined electricity and gas bill of $1600 for the quarter.

“My wife was thinking of going to the (Royal) Show today (Wednesday), and I said, ‘Are you going to the Show’, and she goes, ‘We just got a $1600 power bill, I’m not going anywhere’,” he told the Advertiser.
Mr Benfell said that the amount was “almost double” what it was for the same quarter last year, and said he had noticed it had been getting higher over time.
As an aged-pensioner who works part time “to make ends meet”, he said he and his wife will now consider moving to a different energy provider, and cut down on recreational spending.
“The bills have just slowly crept up. We’ve tried to be just a little bit more careful with what we use and what we switch on and what we switch off, but yeah, it just seems to be creeping up and up and up,” he said.
“We usually go out one night a week with some friends but until we pay the bill off, we won’t be going anywhere, so we’ll cut down our expenses for tea and seeing our friends for a while.
“We try to save up a bit but you’re always getting something in … it’s ridiculous.”
Mr Benfell said he and his wife were now considering changing providers.
Meanwhile, a few streets over, Shae Desmet said she and her husband had just switched providers at the start of the year after receiving a $1200 power bill for the first quarter when they were with AGL.

Ms Desmet, who is on a Disability Support Pension (DSP), admitted that she used the airconditioning for large parts of the day over the summer, but said she needed a cooler environment for “medical reasons”.
She said she applied for additional cover in her DSP but was denied.
“This year we actually switched providers because with AGL, the prices just kept going up, and then last summer we paid upwards of $1100 for the quarter,” she said.
“We know we’ve got the airconditioner 24-hours during the summer, but for some reason, I’m not eligible for medical heating and cooling which is frustrating.
“My husband works and I’m on a Disability Support Pension (DSP) so we’re always trying to keep our bills low.”
In Port Adelaide, pensioner Robert Blackwell, 75, said he has noticed a “bump” in his gas bill, but couldn’t work out why it was higher.
Mr Blackwell, who has to use a gofer for transportation, said he was now paying at least $40 more every quarter for gas, which did have an impact on his groceries as the cost of food was also rising.

“Well I could use another $100 a fortnight to be honest, and that would cover a few things going up like fruit and veg and other groceries,” he said.
“I can’t explain why it is going up because I’m using the same appliances and doing the same thing everyday and everything has gone up.”
Mr Blackwell is considering switching from Energy Australia, but said he would wait until his next bill to see if it is higher than the last before making a decision.
It’s a similar story for Kiran Shah, of Mawson Lakes, who’s seen his power bill with electricity provider Origin increase by around “$100 to $200 per quarter on average” despite not using more electricity.
“It’s not a constant increase, but our usage hasn't changed much, it’s pretty much exactly the same,” the 48-year-old said.

The father-of-one and his wife are now paying an average of $550 to $650 per quarter, compared to around $450 to $500, last year.
The couple who have one daughter, have to restructure their finances to substitute for the increased cost of their power bill, in areas such as dining out and online shopping.
“We’re not buying things at random, just because we saw something and making more informed decisions, he said.”
“The perishable goods we used to buy, now we only buy something that we are definitely likely to use.”
“My wife used to purchase a lot of online stuff, so that’s also gone down quite a bit.”

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/subscrib ... nt-1-SCORE

[abc]

Adelaide Oval is running at a loss because of the cost of energy

https://www.indaily.com.au/news/adelaid ... ning-costs

[Norman]

Adelaide Oval is running at a loss because of the cost of energy

https://www.indaily.com.au/news/adelaid ... ning-costs

That's not what the article said. The only 2 quotes I saw related to energy use was:

It also said an increase in major events led to a $1.6 million increase in utility costs “as LED lights were used for more sporting events and concerts”

And

However, we also face the same headwinds as other businesses in terms of the rising costs of goods, services, wages and utilities

There is no direct cause of the loss being increased utility costs.

[abc]

Adelaide Oval is running at a loss because of the cost of energy

https://www.indaily.com.au/news/adelaid ... ning-costs

That's not what the article said. The only 2 quotes I saw related to energy use was:

It also said an increase in major events led to a $1.6 million increase in utility costs “as LED lights were used for more sporting events and concerts”

And

However, we also face the same headwinds as other businesses in terms of the rising costs of goods, services, wages and utilities

There is no direct cause of the loss being increased utility costs.

of course its not what the article said, its a left wing rag

read between the lines... the cost of everything (other than freehold property value) has gone up for one reason... the price of energy

[rev]

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more absurd in this country, we're now on the verge of needing to import gas.

[Norman]

Adelaide Oval is running at a loss because of the cost of energy

https://www.indaily.com.au/news/adelaid ... ning-costs

That's not what the article said. The only 2 quotes I saw related to energy use was:

It also said an increase in major events led to a $1.6 million increase in utility costs “as LED lights were used for more sporting events and concerts”

And

However, we also face the same headwinds as other businesses in terms of the rising costs of goods, services, wages and utilities

There is no direct cause of the loss being increased utility costs.

of course its not what the article said, its a left wing rag

read between the lines... the cost of everything (other than freehold property value) has gone up for one reason... the price of energy

So hang on... You posted an article and make a claim which is not covered in that article, and then completely discredit the article and publication because it doesn't align with your political views. Makes no sense

[abc]

That's not what the article said. The only 2 quotes I saw related to energy use was:

And

There is no direct cause of the loss being increased utility costs.

of course its not what the article said, its a left wing rag

read between the lines... the cost of everything (other than freehold property value) has gone up for one reason... the price of energy

So hang on... You posted an article and make a claim which is not covered in that article, and then completely discredit the article and publication because it doesn't align with your political views. Makes no sense

no, I'm not discrediting the article because it provided the required information

unlike you, I don't need someone in the 'media' to state everything explicitly for me to know it is true... this is called critical thinking

much like algebra ...do they even teach that anymore?