The Productivity Commission is expected to be asked within weeks to overhaul how power generators are paid to supply the National Electricity Market, to ensure enough clean and firm energy is built to keep the lights on as coal power exits.
Paying generators for not only the power they produce but also their ability to switch on and off to plug supply gaps will be critical to ensure grid reliability as baseload coal plants shut down between now and about 2038.
Ben Potter writes on energy, climate change and innovation, and has been Washington correspondent, opinion editor and companies editor. Connect with Ben on Twitter. Email Ben at bpotter@afr.com
