New rules to reduce blackout risk in SA, as Jay Weatherill and Malcolm Turnbull brawl over energy security

TWO gas-fired power stations will be kept online at all times in South Australia, under new measures to reduce the risk of another statewide blackout.

TWO gas-fired power stations will be kept online at all times in South Australia, under new measures to reduce the risk of another statewide blackout.

Premier Jay Weatherill and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday clashed over energy policy at a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments. Mr Weatherill claimed Mr Turnbull’s stance on carbon emissions in the electricity sector could cost him the country’s top job.

The COAG meeting discussed an interim report from Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel on energy security, which was commissioned after the September 29 blackout.

Dr Finkel told The Advertiser that measures had been put in place to safeguard SA’s power supply, including new procedures adopted by the Australian Energy Market Operator. “Within the last week, AEMO has put forth a requirement that there has to be a minimum of two synchronous generators operating at all times within SA,” Dr Finkel said. “That provides voltage support and system strength.”

The synchronous generators are gas-fired turbines, which are more reliable than solar or wind power and stabilise the network. Planned maintenance on the Hazelwood interconnector next week could potentially lead to SA being temporarily disconnected from the national grid on Wednesday or Thursday.

Contingency plans have been put in place to prevent blackouts if the state is cut off.

The Chief Scientist’s COAG interim report cited research backing the introduction of an energy intensity scheme in the power sector. An EIS sets a baseline for allowable tonnes of CO2 output per megawatt hour of electricity.

Any generators producing lower emissions, which would include gas-fired power stations and wind farms, would earn “credits” which could be sold to those which producing CO2 above the baseline. The Government would not collect revenue from such a scheme.

Mr Turnbull told premiers he would not support the idea because it would lead to higher power prices. “Imposing a tax on electricity generation — which is essentially what is being proposed — would add to the cost and would add to that burden,’’ he said.

An angry Mr Weatherill had earlier pointed out that Mr Turnbull had been dumped as Liberal leader in 2009 because of his support for emissions trading. “It would be a great irony if he were to lose his job for a second time on the other side of the debate,” he said.