South Australia exporting power to Victoria as eastern state imports tumble ten-fold
SOUTH Australia has shut off on its reliance on Victoria to keep the lights on and has consistently been exporting power to east coast, new figures reveal.
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SOUTH Australia has shut off on its reliance on Victoria to keep the lights on and has consistently been exporting power to the east coast, new figures reveal.
Data from the national grid operator shows that every week since July, SA has exported more energy than it has brought in from interstate.
Not only has SA exported more electricity but the total amount of power being brought in from the east has dwindled and was now 10 times less than this time last year.
In the week before Christmas SA imported just 8,810 MWh from Victoria through the two interconnectors but during the same week in 2016, 76,653 MWh was needed.
Historically, SA has relied on Victoria for about 20 per cent of its power consumption.
Acting Energy Minister Chris Picton said the data showed SA was meeting its energy requirements in the state and also exporting clean wind and solar energy to the eastern seaboard.
“When we announced our $550 million energy plan we said we wanted more electricity generated here in SA so we are less reliant on imports from interstate,” he said.
“We have also seen SA’s Tesla battery helping stabilise the national grid on a number of occasions, including on December 14 when it was dispatched after a generator in Victoria failed.”
Mr Picton said there was a range of large scale renewables projects under development including the Aurora solar thermal plant at Port Augusta which would help further increase local output, putting downward pressure on power prices.
Grattan Institute energy program director Tony Wood said the results highlighted the benefits of interconnection but warned the switch could be flicked the other way as SA’s summer heats up.
“Because Hazelwood (coal fired power station in Victoria) is not there anymore there is not as much power that’s low cost and exportable and weather circumstances have been such that SA has had enough for its own needs and been able to send power to Victoria,” he said.
“But if there’s three or four really hot days when people are back at work it could certainly reverse before the end of summer.”