NSW northern rivers to go "off grid"

Metgasco to develop wind, solar and peaking gas powergen in the northern rivers.

It could work ... a win for pragmatists, northern rivers residents, industry, a test case for new age low carbon economies ... a magnet for eco tourism ... innovation for NSW and Australia.

Why off grid? Because it should sit well and be a win win with local residents and activists and politicians AND it minimises distribution losses.

Why wind, solar AND peaking gas powergen? Wind and solar are 100% renewable but not 100% reliable over days, weeks, months. Peaking gas to some degree can be switched of and on if there is an alternative productive use for the gas, eg a small scale cng facility for domestic and transport use.

Small scale CSG compliant turbines are available down to several MW capacity and up to 5-10 MW capacity ... not many CSG wells would be needed to power such a facility and so surely there is somewhere in the region willing and suited to receive such low scale development? There may be only 1-2 wells at a time needed if higher flowrate conventional gas wells could be developed.

All this could be kick started by a decent compensation payment to Metgasco, bringing in wind/solar partners, a "chastened" NSW government looking desperately for a political win win and a federal government cranking up the case for a smart, innovative nation.

Dex