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Soaring heatwave leads to blackout fears

With parts of Western Sydney set to reach 39C, households have been warned against leaving lights on or running air-conditioners too low. But there’s a particular danger time that has electricity providers most concerned.

Fears of blackouts across NSW from tomorrow

Blackout fears have led Labor to warn households against leaving lights on or running airconditioners at low temperatures this week.

Demand is set to soar on Tuesday, with parts of western Sydney tipped to reach 39 degrees, leading the Australian Energy Market Operator to issue its second-highest “lack of reserve” notice for NSW from 3.30 to 7.30pm.

Predictions of 40°C at Richmond on Wednesday afternoon prompted AEMO to go even further and put in place its top alert – which signals a deficit so severe it could trigger intentional rotating power outages.

The heatwave is due to hit before power units at three of the state’s four coal-fired power stations come back into operation after spring maintenance.

Households have been warned against leaving lights on or running airconditioners at low temperatures this week.
Households have been warned against leaving lights on or running airconditioners at low temperatures this week.

Since late August, one of the four Eraring units has been undergoing planned repairs. Owner Origin Energy had intended to bring it back into operation on Wednesday. But a spokesman told this masthead that defects were detected on the weekend and “a decision has been taken to delay the unit’s return to service by a further 48 hours to Friday.”

A two-month scheduled outage for one of the two units at Vales Point also ends late this week, according to owner Delta.

Meanwhile one of the four units at AGL’s Bayswater plant is also in planned maintenance until December 8, and another one there is having unscheduled repairs after a tube leak was discovered last week.

An industry source said in the past, coal-fired power plant outages in spring had been hardly noticed because there were enough stations in the system.

But now, there was no excess generation, leaving the system exposed. The problem would become more pronounced, the source predicted, because the renewables transition was behind schedule.

Bayswater power station, near Muswellbrook in the Hunter region of NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Bayswater power station, near Muswellbrook in the Hunter region of NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Earlier, an AEMO spokeswoman said: “High temperatures and strong electricity demand, combined with major generation outages, are causing tight electricity supply forecasts in NSW tomorrow and Wednesday afternoon.

“AEMO has alerted the energy industry and is working with power station operators and transmission businesses to boost electricity availability,” the spokeswoman said.

“If a market response remains inadequate, AEMO will take actions available to maintain supply.”

Late on Monday, AEMO lowered its alert for Wednesday to the same less critical level as for Tuesday, after transmission outages were cancelled.

Earlier, NSW Energy and Climate Change Minister Penny Sharpe encouraged people to reconsider how they use power this week.

“On really hot days, do you really need to have every single light on in the house? Do you need to have your airconditioning down at 19 degrees? You don’t,” Ms Sharpe said.

The blackout warnings proved “you cannot run a nation on net zero,” said Institute of Public Affairs research fellow Saxon Davidson.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and federal Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen should explain “how, on their watch, a handful of hot days in spring could potentially bring the nation’s energy system to its knees,” Mr Davidson said.

“We cannot afford to shut another baseload power station until a like-for-like baseload replacement, be it coal-fired or nuclear, is ready to come online.”

In response to questions, Mr Bowen’s office noted AEMO’s warning downgrade.

In May this year, the NSW government struck a deal with Origin to keep Eraring open for an extra two years, until at least 2027, and possibly longer.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/environment/soaring-heatwave-leads-to-blackout-fears/news-story/aed34e7c6caa1601e25e07e6def3edf7