15-03-2017, 10:49 PM
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What a difference two days make!
In the Diesel Cars topic We briefly discussed Australia's energy short fall.Australia has more coal, gas and uranium than just about any country in the world most of which is exported. For the last six months a crisis has been looming with a shortfall in electricity supply on the east coast due to a shortage of gas supply and in SA a shortage of generation capacity (which led to a state wide blackout).
In two days much has changed. The Federal Government, faced with future blackouts on the east coast, suddenly got all the gas producers together and threatened them - the Federal Government has control over imports and exports. The producers would do anything to prevent laws being enacted to control their activities so they promised to ensure that there is sufficient supply for the domestic electricity market - so far so good(ish).
But wait there is more... The Federal government also suddenly discovered plans dating back to the 1980's to increase the capacity of the Snowy Hydro scheme by 50% and will act on this to happen by 2023. It will cost billions to build three 27km tunnels between two power stations (so much for the "budget emergency")
The South Australian Government has announced it will spend more than $500 million to build a new gas-fired power plant and Australia's largest battery as it moves to secure the state's energy supplies. (Gas shortages? you see a problem here?) It will no longer rely on power from the nation's grid.
It is amazing how the threat of execution concentrates the mind. Two days of nation building of a sort. No doubt there is more to come.
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