Clean energy is coming - don't get left behind

Paul Ebert writes that The clean energy economy is coming – and there's a lot to lose for those who can't keep up: "The energy internet, the ‘smart’ grid, solar energy and battery storage are converging and the economic benefits are clear".

Renewables as a source for baseload power

Skeptical Science asks the question Can renewables provide baseload power? and answers yes.

Mark Diesendorf argues that Baseload power is a myth: even intermittent renewables will work.

Change the energy market settlement time to encourage storage technologies

In Change market rules, and battery storage will easily beat gas Giles Parkinson argues that changing the settlement time in the energy market from 30 minutes to 5 minutes will encourage the adoption of fast response technologies like batteries and other forms of storage.

Why electricity prices are going up as demand falls

Ross Gittins in Why electricity prices continue to shock people explains why electricity costs keep rising as demand drops, which is counter to normal economic theory:

But hang on, is this guy saying the price of electricity has gone up because demand for it has gone down? Isn't it supposed to be the other way round? Isn't a fall in demand supposed to lead to a fall in the price?
Well, assuming no change in supply, yes it is. So you're right to be to be puzzled. The relationship I've described between price and demand is, as an economist would say, ''perverse''.
But why? Because, as Garnaut explains, we've stuffed up the deregulation of the electricity market. (Moral: as we're being reminded by the plan to ''deregulate'' university fees, if you deregulate or privatise without knowing what you're doing you can make things worse rather than better.)
Before the reform process began, each state had its own, government-owned electricity monopoly, with little trade between the states. From the late 1980s it was decided to break the integrated state monopolies into their component parts - generation, transmission, distribution and retailing - and form one big eastern Australian electricity market with as much competition and as little monopoly as possible.
The power stations were separated into individual businesses - some of which were privatised, particularly in Victoria - and made to compete in a highly sophisticated ''national'' wholesale market for electricity. Garnaut says this has worked well, with competition keeping the wholesale price low in response to the reduced demand.
But transmission (high-voltage power lines) and distribution (local poles and wires to the premises) are natural monopolies. That is, it's not economic to have more than one network. So whether these businesses are publicly or privately owned, the prices they charge have to be regulated to prevent them overcharging.
Trouble is, Garnaut says, we've done this by fixing the maximum rate of return the businesses are allowed to earn on the capital they have invested. Economists have known for 60 years that this always causes problems because it's so hard to pick the right rate of return.
If it's too low it leads to underinvestment in the physical network, causing blackouts. If it's too high, however, it leads to overinvestment in the network at the expense of business and household customers.
But as well, when monopoly businesses that are guaranteed a certain rate of return suffer a loss of demand, the regulator has to allow them to restore their profitability by raising their prices.

Read the whole article.

Solar to beat coal

Evan Beaver in Crushing Solar Optimism argues that the continuing improvements in the efficiency and cost of solar will put coal fired electricity generators out of business.

Yet more evidence wind farms are not harmful

Lenore Taylor in No reliable evidence wind farms harm health, peak research body says writes that a recent National Health and Medical Research Council draft report has found there was "no reliable or consistent evidence that windfarms directly cause adverse health effects in humans".

Hardly a surprise. However, the Government intends to hold more inquires. No doubt they'll eventually be able to create one that gives the answer the want. They just need an inquiry head who's ideologically sound and fact adverse.

Renewables may be reducing power prices in South Australia

Dylan McConnell, Research Fellow at University of Melbourne, writes in Power of the wind – how renewables are lowering SA electricity bills that:
Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power appear to be the impetus behind a South Australian proposal to substantially drop electricity prices, just as other states are hiking theirs.
...
And while it is not specifically acknowledged in the determination, this may be the first time the “merit order effect” of renewable energy sources can conclusively be seen flowing through to consumers in Australia.

Some articles on the Australian energy sector

Ben Eltham and Squirrel Main have written an interesting series of articles on the Australian energy sector:

Your Energy Bill Explained
Poles, Wires, Regulators and Middle Men


Ben Eltham has also written several other articles on the energy sector:
Renewables Will Win At The Ballot Box
Solar Is The Brightest Energy Option

Our Gold-Plated Electricity Infrastructure

Those opposing wind power

Mike Seccombe has written a two part series on the people and organisations behind much of the opposition to wind farms in Australia:
A field guide to the war on wind power and A field guide to the war on wind power (part two)

Sandi Keane also looks at the same people and how some residents are fighting back in Waubra Fights The Anti-Wind Bullies.

Wind and solar lead to electricty price falls in South Australia

Wind, solar force energy price cuts in South Australia by Giles Parkinson.

Wind turbine syndrome

Ketan Joshi in Anti-wind turbine syndrome: We need to clear the air looks at claims about wind turbine syndrome:

Wind turbines are subject to a disproportionate array of myths, compared to other generation technologies. From throwaway lines about bird deaths, to catastrophic misunderstandings of science and engineering, the opponents of wind energy tirelessly propagate odd falsehoods, based on a ferocious antagonism towards wind energy. These fictions, often deployed in rapid sequence, are difficult to combat. Significantly, the anti-wind lobby binds these falsehoods to a passionately emotive ethos, manifesting as unfiltered hostility. This tactic exposes an unnerving and worrisome fact – to influence public sentiment, evidence is unnecessary – myth and contempt might easily suffice.

And

To counter this trend, the wind industry must engage in a full, frank and scientifically defensible effort to quash the many myths that invariably orbit wind developments in Australia. As is always the case, scientific truth is significantly more valuable than falsehood. Safe, efficient and most importantly, non-invasive to communities and the environment, wind energy has a vital role to play in transitioning away from energy sources that damage the planet’s physical systems.

Significantly, individuals will come to harm as they experience needless anxiety as the direct result of unscientific health claims. The onus is on the wind industry, and the media, to present clear and relatable information. We need to cast light on this regrettably murky topic.

Edit: 25 Oct 2012
ABC Radio National's The Science Show had a report on the topic: Curious Distribution of Wind Turbine Sickness.

Wind turbine syndrome

In Wind turbine syndrome: a classic ‘communicated’ disease Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health and University of Sydney, looks at claims of health problems attributed to wind turbine exposure. Basically, they're all in the mind.

Wind power might be reducing energy costs

I've read a fair bit that suggests that wind power is far from the best source of renewable energy. For example:

Save the planet: Stop the Greens
Eco investors demand (even) more sweeteners for low carbon energy
Stand by for more big, windfarm-driven 'leccy price rises
'Leccy price hike: Greens to blame as well as energy biz
Climate Change 'wise men' recommend more nukes, power cuts

(The Register does have some reporters that are sympathetic to the arguments of climate change skeptics).

However, yesterday I came across the article Parkinson: why wind is cutting energy costs which claims that the deployment of wind farms is driving down the cost of electricity. Wind still relies on MRET subsidies, however its low variable marginal cost means that it gets priority over more expensive generators thus reducing prices.