AUSTELA

The South Australian Government is currently developing the legal framework that establishes the state's Energy Security Target, which is part of a six-point plan to enhance the SA power system (see news article on 3 April below). The government has sought feedback from stakeholders on the draft legal framework.

AUSTELA has made a submission to the consultation, which can be downloaded HERE

AUSTELA has made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy, regarding the Inquiry into modernising Australia's electricity grid. The submission can be downloaded HERE

On 14 March, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill presented a new six-point plan by the SA government to enhance the South Australian power system. Announcement of the plan follows intense debate as to the causes of electricity system failures in South Australia over recent months, a debate that has brought to a head longstanding fears that National Electricity Market rules have failed to keep pace with rapid technology changes.

Dr Keith Lovegrove, Managing Director of ITP Thermal Pty Ltd and a director of AUSTELA, recently highlighted that solar thermal power plants with 10+ hours of low-cost built-in thermal energy storage have been in operation internationally for several years, and are proven technology (Read his full article HERE). AUSTELA has long advocated that the benefits of integrated energy storage, providing in-built dispatchability, should be taken into account when comparing electricity costs derived from different generation technologies.

AUSTELA continues to engage in the public debate to raise awareness of the benefits of solar thermal power technologies, including their immunity from risks of supply, cost and carbon emissions associated with gas-fired power generation, and CSP’s cost advantages over battery technology at large scale.