The most populated parts of NSW have had a record soggy time.
Many are suffering from flooded houses and also from loss of livelihoods.
We have had some strong winds, but not throughout all our cloudless days.
How much worse would it have been for all residents of NSW if we did not have coal fired power stations?
Without them we would have risked what recently happened in Spain when they had a total power failure.
Without our coal-fired power stations, we do not have enough generating power to cope with extreme lack of sun and wind for a period exceeding a few hours.
Also no internet, no telecommunications.
Intermittency (weather-dependent intermittency) is a word, the significance of which in power generation, is not properly understood.
No sun, no wind, means no electricity without dispatchable power (coal, gas or nuclear) when you need it the most.
Email, May 22
Charles Hemmings
I see your coal-powered generators and I raise you batteries and a Hydroelectric Dam. The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow, but when they do, they provide enough energy that we have to let most of it go to waste. Why not store that for later use instead?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-26/renewables-versus-nuclear-in-evolving-energy-grid/104800790 (ABC’s analysis of how different forms of electricity generation impact our electricity grid, both nationally and state-by-state)