Large-scale electricity generation

Real-world Experience

Models are only a type of guesswork and are totally dependent on the assumptions made. Experience with large-scale 'renewables' is reality. Germany has the highest % of renewables in its grid and the highest costs in the EU. When there are no sunbeams nor blow, Germany buys electricity from nuclear France. (NB – nuclear France does not have the highest costs in the EU, indicating that weather-dependent intermittents are more expensive than nuclear). Australia does not have the luxury of a neighbour who can bail us out when the weather misbehaves.

Available Options

For large-scale electricity generation the only two options for the essential dispatchable component of the grid are nuclear fission (carbon-free) and gas (emits less than coal for the same amount of electricity generated).

Take your pick.

Approvals and Disposal

'Clean energy' projects do not have to undergo the same level of scrutiny as a mine, nor are the required to provide funds for disposal and rehabilitation. This points to an obsession with 'net zero' that will tap into taxpayer funds, very irresponsible.

Rooftop solar

Rooftop solar is a sensible add-on to an electricity grid, especially in Australia with lots of sun. It also has the advantage of not needing extra transmission lines and is not a competing land use. But it has limitations. Its intermittency can make grid load management more difficult and it should be seen as an add-on as it is not dispatchable. However, subsidizing it disadvantages those who cannot afford it, but have to contribute to the subsidies via their taxes. Home battery storage can be incorporated to ensure the electricity is not wasted. Subsidizing battery storage produces the same disadvantage to the poorer in society as subsidized solar panels. Also because of the cost, the household batteries are only suitable for very short-term outages. The technology is available to be off-grid but the payback time for the capital investment, especially the battery storage, is a strong disincentive. Please note what has previously been said about storage costs (Indicative storage costs).

Vulnerability and Security

We are aware that the Russians are trying to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This would be a much easier task for the Russians if Ukraine had hectares of solar panels and windmills like Australia. Heavy dependence on 'renewables' makes us an easy target. 'Renewables' present easy to hit targets. Also 'renewables' are subject to threat from the weather as has been experienced in USA. There is also the competition for land and marine use.

The Clean Green Energy Illusion

It is an inconvenient truth to the 'clean, green energy' adherents that it is not happening. The measure of success is not the number of installed solar panels and windmills (although they do reduce CO2 emissions) but rather CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and fossil fuel usage in the world. Atmospheric CO2 is still increasing at an ever-increasing rate (Mauna Loa, Hawaii) as is fossil fuel usage (Energy Institute). It means that the global increase in fossil fuels is greater than the take up of 'renewables'. Why? Coal is still the cheapest form of electricity and the poor countries cannot afford anything else. It is only the rich countries who have spent $trillions over the last decade and more on 'renewables' and their efforts have been in vain. You could say a total waste of money that could have been spent on infrastructure, health and general welfare.

Australia is particularly hypocritical in this regard as we are the second or third largest coal exporter (after Russia). All we are doing is exporting our emissions. The attitude of 'not in my backyard' ignores the simple fact that the atmosphere, and the CO2 in it, is common property. CO2 does not need a visa to enter Australia air space. This is not 'net zero', this is 'zero rationality'. Combatting climate change is a global challenge. Australia's emission are so small (although high on a per capital basis) as to have no appreciable effect on arresting global CO2 emissions.

Conclusions

Total reliance on weather-dependent intermittents (solar and wind) would be a policy disaster. A stand-alone 'renewables' grid is not fit for purpose, being unreliable and expensive, most likely ruinously expensive. As battery storage is not an option on a large scale, a reliable electricity grid must have a significant component of dispatchable electricity generation, providing base-load power. Choose nuclear fission or gas or both.

The clean green energy revolution is an illusion. Illusions are sustainable but conflict with reality.

What we are doing is a classic case of self-harm. We are constructing an unreliable and costly (possibly ruinously costly) electricity grid which will contribute essentially nothing to arrest the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere, but certainly will make us poorer. We are throwing away our natural resource endowments for nothing except for feel-good virtue signalling which is not in the interests of the Australian taxpayer. At the same time we are contributing to the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere (and it is in our backyard, the global atmosphere) by being the second or third largest exporter of coal in the world, incredible hypocrisy.

There is no immaculate solution to our energy needs available at this time and please note that our electricity prices are increasing as we install more solar panels and wind turbines.