A lifetime of 24/7/365 reliable power for Australia., page-142

Cold snapconfirms energy price surge, and need for gas and coal – The AustralianFinancial Review

A 70 per cent surge in gas-fuelled powergeneration was behind a near-doubling of wholesale electricity prices acrosssome south-eastern states in the June quarter, while forward prices for powerrose across the board amid worries about potential supply shocks. The figuresfrom the Australian Energy Regulator confirmed a “drought” in wind powergeneration in the April-June period, when electricity produced from windturbines slid to just 12 per cent, its lowest share in the mix since the samequarter in 2021. At the same time, “minimal” new generation was added to themarket, with only one wind farm, at Goyder South in South Australia, comingonline as Australia’s build-out of clean energy generation to replace coalfalls further behind the rate needed to replace ageing coal generators and meet2030 climate targets. Solar generation was also subdued, as is normal with theshorter days of autumn and early winter, forcing increased use also ofhydropower. Gas power generation was 70 per cent higher than in the Marchquarter, at 1653 megawatts, and 16 per cent above the same period last year.The weak renewable power generation triggered a resurgence in coal generation,with black coal power – as produced in NSW and Queensland – up 7 per cent in aquarter that also included a decision to extend the life of the country’sbiggest coal generator.