Trial date target for Australian Energy Regulator case against wind farms over SA 2016 blackout
The complex case of deciding whether wind farms did have a role in causing the statewide blackout of 2016 is likely to go to trial late next year.
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A TRIAL on whether four wind farms played a causative role in the 2016 statewide blackout is likely to be heard late next year.
A trial would involve a “degree of complexity” with opposing experts likely to give evidence, the Federal Court was told during a case management hearing on Tuesday.
The Australian Energy Regulator is taking action against four wind farms — Hornsdale, Snowtown, Pacific Hydro’s Clement’s Gap and AGL’s Hallett farms.
The regulator alleges the wind farms should have been able to ride through six voltage disturbances which occurred within 90 seconds on September 28, 2016.
The wind farms have all indicated they will reject the claim.
The court heard that the AER aims to have an agreed set of facts on what happened with argument then expected about how the standards under which the electricity grid operates should be interpreted and how they apply to the blackout.
A central question will be whether the grid was in a “secure operating state” following tornadoes with wind speeds of 190-260km/h damaged three major transmission lines.
AGL broke ranks with the other three wind farms to say a further issue to be resolved will be which operating standards apply and how these standards interact with each other.
Justice Anthony Besanko adjourned the cases to April next year for further direction hearings and to resolve the questions raised by AGL.