Electricity price hikes and the threat of blackouts have been consistently making media headlines – but understandably many consumers have no idea what’s gone wrong. There’s a lot to unpack about what’s happening in our electricity system and what governments can do about it.
Back in 2017, Elon Musk’s Tesla big battery at Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia was considered a revolutionary development in the quest for an alternative, more resilient energy system. Five years on, Australian big batteries are booming with the next five years set to see quadruple growth in the large-scale storage solution.
As the new parliament sits for the first time this week, one issue will be in sharpest focus: enshrining a climate target into law. The Albanese government’s pre-election promise was to cut Australia’s emissions 43% on 2005 levels, by 2030.
Mitigating risk is an essential part of the process as Australia navigates the path to a clean energy future, writes Mike Hunneyball, operations chief engineer at FM Global.