Brief rolling black-outs that saw the power out in around 100,000 South Australian homes has ignited a backlash against wind energy.
“The backlash came from the predictable corners – climate deniers, pro-nuclear advocates, and the fossil fuel lobby – all of whom have a common enemy, the growth of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar in our electricity grid,” energy commenter Giles Parkinson told RenewEconomy.
The state sources 40 per cent of its overall demand from wind energy and rooftop solar, but it was the massive transmission line linking Victoria and South Australia that failed in November, with around 140MW of the load shed.
“Higher renewable energy penetration does have its challenges. It requires a focus on supply as well as demand. And that also means a smarter grid, one that we are not yet getting from our regulators,” Mr Parkinson commented.
