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Sceptics, look away: a mostly renewable electricity grid is highly feasible
Australia’s electricity could be over 95% renewable by 2035, according to the latest release of Australia’s electricity market operator’s Integrated System Plan. But many people are sceptical.
The goal was to show that a sufficient quantity of wind and solar, backed by existing hydro and 5 hours of storage ( 24GW / 120GWh) would enable the electricity grid to get very close to 100% renewable at a very affordable price. Credit: David OsmondHowever, there remain some periods, nearly all in late autumn or winter, when the hydro and 5 hours of storage are not sufficient to fill these gaps in supply from wind and solar. In the short to medium term, ‘Other’ is likely to be gas or diesel-fuelled peaking plants, providing 1.2% of annual generation to complement the 98.8% coming from wind, solar and existing hydro.
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