In Forum CCN 417 Dennis Silvers says: “True, there is a cost, (renewables) but it depends on who is covering the cost – not necessarily the electricity consumer”.
My question is: If it is not the consumer who is paying the cost, who should it be?
Certainly not the Australian taxpayer!
Mr Silvers is dealing with his individual case – nothing wrong with that, and as he indicated the pathway from electricity generation to switching on the lights is quite complex.
However, it is clear that the costs of producing electricity on demand 24/7 – which renewables cannot do, but the consumer wants – have to be reflected in the consumer cost – otherwise a subsidy from the taxpayer, someone has to pay.
He sees independent households with their own independent solar panels – but without costly batteries?
He should be reminded that if the utility fails and blackouts occur, which I believe we are heading towards if we shut down Eraring in 2025, solar panels are not worth the dirt on them because the whole system fails.
Total blackout (could happen) – except if you avoid it by load shedding.
A lot of the debate about electricity costs is due to lack of adherence to basic accounting principles.
To obtain the real cost of something you have to price in all the relevant costs and not cherry pick them or ignore them as many enthusiasts of renewables are doing.
Mr Silvers also says: “The real issue is if you are the owner of a transmission line or distribution network, you face the risk of ending up with a stranded asset”.
He again seeks safety in home-grown solar power, but without transmission lines for renewables to be located in vastly different locations to compensate for the vagaries of the weather, you have no electricity unless the sun shines or the wind blows locally.
Experience overseas over the past decade shows that renewables are not only expensive, but perhaps unaffordable, and also are not fit for purpose for a stand-alone utility-scale system.
Consumers and taxpayers are not better off with renewable as stand-alone utility generators, due to the unreliability and cost.
In fact, the enormous costs now being sucked out of the Australian economy in the quest for net zero is a large contributor to our inflation and our reduction in standard of living which has been recorded over the past year.
Think of the money that could go to hospitals and education instead of to partly used (they are intermittent) solar gardens and Quixotic windmills.
Email, Nov 25
Charles Hemmings, Woy Woy