Exclusive: Emergency energy to beat the big NSW blackout crisis
A COOLER summer and a massive injection of emergency standby energy has dramatically reduced the threat of rolling summer blackouts across the state despite a jump in demand for electricity in the last month.
NSW
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Frydenberg: More affordable, reliable energy system on way
A COOLER summer and a massive injection of emergency standby energy has dramatically reduced the threat of rolling summer blackouts across the state despite a jump in demand for electricity in the last month.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has told The Saturday Telegraph almost double the amount of standby power needed over the summer months has been set aside to avert a repeat of February’s crisis, in which energy regulators raced frantically to stop a major blackout.
Those comments come as the latest Australian Energy Market Operator figures show the highest demand for power in December spiked nearly seven per cent higher than in the same period last year — 31,480 MW last Tuesday, compared to 29,528 MW on December 13, 2016.
Mr Frydenberg said the market operator had “been preparing for the stresses and strains of summer for months”.
That comes after warnings that some states would face a critical blackout threat this summer, and with Sydney families told to head out to the cinemas last holiday season because of uncertainty whether power would have to be cut to some suburbs.
Peak demand in NSW this December hit 13,042 MW last Tuesday, compared to the 13,760 MW demanded earlier this year when the power grid was most at risk.
“Their actions have included ensuring that previously mothballed gas-fired power stations … are now operating, ensuring the sufficient quantities of coal and gas are available to the generators, and working closely with the energy companies to co-ordinate their maintenance schedules so that the equipment is well placed to cope with summer,” he said.
“While nobody can ever provide you with an iron-clad guarantee, we are advised by the market operator that they have done everything in their power to ensure security of supply.”
AEMO has already put in place a $68 million operation plan to minimise the risk of blackouts this summer, which would bring in an additional 2000 MW of emergency power compared to a forecast possible shortfall 1000 MW.
And the Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said temperatures were unlikely to soar far above average over the next two months, and were “slightly in favour of being cooler than average” across NSW in February.