Tory Shepherd: At the heart of SA’s power supply problem are politicians who won’t work together

SA’S unstable power isn’t just renewables vs. coal. It’s not just about a system ill-equipped to deal with renewables’ intermittent supply — it’s about brutal politics, writes Tory Shepherd.

• MAIN REPORT: Why power was cut to 60,000 more homes than needed

BRUTAL. Retail. Politics. So, the much-anticipated Australian Energy Market Operator report into last week’s blackouts has landed.

South Australian homes and businesses had to have blackouts because the system failed. AEMO’s forecasts were out, the wind dropped off, and when it was clear demand would outstrip supply, there was an unfunny comedy of errors with backup options.

Then, a real cock-up. SA Power Networks unnecessarily cut power to 60,000 homes. So that explains two thirds of the 90,000 who lost power. Sorry, they said.

We’re still waiting for the final report on last year’s catastrophic statewide blackout, but we know in general what happened.

The September 28 storm was worse than expected. Tornadoes ripped through powerlines, wind farms shut down as the system went wobbly, and the interconnector to Victoria failed after it tried to suck too much energy.

We also know that the systems — the physical system and the market system that governs the flow of power — need to be fixed to cope with SA’s high level of wind power. AEMO admits as much in this report.

It’s pretty clear that it’s the system is not properly equipped to deal with renewables’ intermittent power and other parts of it keep failing.

Do you think that will stop the politicking, the bickering? The back and forth barney about renewables versus coal, the bitching about baseloads and backups? Everyone will pull together, fix the system then start working towards an interim solution?

Ha.

Even if we had all the answers, not a chance.

This week the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said the Labor Party had “bat poo crazy ideas” because of its aim to have 50 per cent renewables across Australia by 2030.

Bat poo crazy, and the Treasurer carrying a lump of coal into Parliament. That’s where we’re at, folks.

Treasurer Scott Morrison hands Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and a lump of coal during Question Time. Picture: Kym Smith

Today the brouhaha went on; Opposition Leader Bill Shorten consistently dodged questions about how much Labor’s renewable energy target (50 per cent by 2030) would cost. Government Ministers took the occasional break from lambasting him over that to have a crack at renewables in general.

The energy issue is personal; people depend on power, they hurt when it’s expensive and they grumble when it’s switched off.

But it’s also deeply political. Politicians at all levels and on all sides will continue to use it to wedge each other on climate change and the hip pocket nerve.

If you have any doubts at all about how important the politics of energy are, have a look at what Peta Credlin said this week. That’s Peta Credlin, former chief of staff to Tony Abbott.

The power behind the throne when Mr Abbott slayed former Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Labor’s “carbon tax”.

“It wasn’t a carbon tax, as you know …” Ms Credlin told Sky News.

“We made it a carbon tax. We made it a fight about the hip pocket and not about the environment.

“That was brutal retail politics and it took Abbott about six months before he cut through, and he cut through, and Gillard was gone.”

Brutal. Retail. Politics.