September 22, 2022 by stopthesethings 2 Comments
Net-zero carbon dioxide emissions targets are just the latest woke wheeze to grip our political betters.
We’re told that wind and solar are central to so-called ‘net-zero CO2 emissions targets’.
Never mind the renewables driven energy calamity playing out in Europe, California, Texas and now Australia.
What is little more than a rebooted extension of the great wind and solar subsidy scam, net-zero CO2 targets are being pushed by the same climate alarmists and profiteering rent-seekers that gave us the former, unvarnished version.
At its root is the notion that modern economies can function without the energy generated by fossil-fuels (whether consumed by motorcars or in power generation) – a brain fart, right up there with the idea we’ll soon be living on Mars, powered by perpetual motion machines.
Australian Senator, Malcolm Roberts attempts to bring us firmly back to Earth, as Eric Worrall reports below.
Aussie Senator Malcolm Roberts Slams False Net Zero Inflation ClaimsWatts Up With That?Eric Worrall26 August 2022
Former mining engineer Senator Malcolm Roberts is one of a handful of Australian federal politicians who have the courage to openly criticise the green madness.
Wind and Solar Cannot Solve High Power Prices and InflationMalcolm Roberts Blog – One NationMalcolm Roberts13 July 2022
Alan Finkel is right when he says we are at a turning point in history. There are two paths for Australia to choose between. One leads to a country where manufacturing thrives and everyone, including the poor, enjoys better living standards on the back of affordable and reliable power. On the other, power prices continue to rise, and the stability of our grid is at risk.
With the highest amount of wind, solar and battery power feeding into the grid in history, Australia’s wholesale power prices have never been higher. All Australians are going to feel the brunt of these price increases. This is a primary cause of our current inflation and it will only get worse, as I have been warning for two years.
Despite net-zero rhetoric, there is an unavoidable truth. Wind and solar cannot solve high power prices and inflation.
Committing to net-zero means that Government has signed a blank cheque to the wind, solar and battery industry whose only solution is more of the same power shortages and high prices.
For example, the closure of the Liddell coal fired power station will be a loss of 2000MW of dispatchable power.
With unreliable renewables operating on average at 23% of their rated capacity because wind and solar take days off, Australia will need hundreds of square kilometres of solar panels to replace Liddell.[1]
Those hundreds of square kilometres of panels, even running at full capacity, won’t guarantee power is being made when needed. Solar power peaks at midday, far away from the peak demand in the early morning and evening. Wind droughts lasting months have wreaked havoc in Europe.[2] Batteries cannot and won’t fix the gap.
The largest battery in Australia can supply 300MW for an hour and a half, a pittance compared to the 2000MW Liddell could produce.[3] That’s even before we consider that because of transmission and power conversion, battery storage might waste around 20% of the power we use to charge them.[4]
What does all this mean? Wind and solar subsidies force other, more reliable sources of power out of the market. Coal generators are forced into early retirement. Nuclear can’t even be investigated.
Wind and solar are inefficient and intermittent. There is less supply of electricity and it is more unreliable. That makes power more expensive and risky for businesses, employers and wage-earners.
Wind, solar and battery advocates claim that a ‘plan to transition the grid’ can solve all this. What is rarely said is that the plan to ditch coal could cost $320 billion, a cost that one way or another Australians will have to pay from their hip pocket.[5]
Australia is facing down the barrel of a cost of living and inflation crisis. We must abandon the ill-advised forced uptake of wind and solar that is going to keep making power bills more expensive.
Instead, we must stop demonizing coal and build coal fired power stations to cover our transition. Power companies must know that the government won’t force coal to go broke so they can freely invest to maintain their existing assets and build more.
Wherever possible we must build dams with hydro power and retro fit hydro. Snowy Hydro 2.0 has laid bare the false promises of pumped hydro.[6]
And finally, we must investigate nuclear power. Australia has had a nuclear reactor running in Lucas Heights, Sydney since 1958.[7] Australia’s ban on nuclear power is no longer fit for purpose. Everything must be on the table to be investigated if it means bringing Australia’s power bills down.
Although electricity from nuclear is typically more expensive than coal and hydro, in places such as South Australia with its massive uranium reserves and low thermal value coal, nuclear needs to be considered.
It may be years before some of these solutions take effect, but it will be even longer if we do not start them now. Decades of politicians making decisions for the next election instead of the next generation has left Australia with this cost of living and inflation crisis. We must act today with a vision for the future, rooted in reality and with the sole focus of making Australian living cheaper and easier while being environmentally responsible.
[1] For example, 1800Mw Liddell output at 90%, 10-30% capacity factor of solar, estimated 2-3ha (0.02-.03sqkm) per MW of solar power
[4] https://opennem.org.au/energy/nem/?range=1y&interval=1w Battery (Charging) vs. Battery (Discharging)
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Flux_Australian_Reactor
Malcolm Roberts Blog – One Nation
Senator Malcolm Roberts is a member of One Nation, which currently holds two federal senate seats, and a scattering of other elected positions.
I regularly write about some of the depressing things happening in Australia, but it is important to remember the deep green politicians who currently run Australia do not have everything their way.
The Aussie government can usually muster just enough votes to push through legislation, with the help of all 12 green senators + one extra, but they have to work for it.
Climate skeptic senators like Malcolm Roberts and Matt Canavan (Queensland LNP) are fighting every day to hold the Australian government to account, by shredding government green narratives and by raising awareness of the catastrophic economic impacts of Australia’s renewable energy push.Watts Up With That?