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2. sounds an awful lot like "renewables are not a viable form of energy and require gas". One gas replacement - nuclear - needs no backup. The other - renewable

2. sounds an awful lot like "renewables are not a viable form of energy and require gas". One gas replacement - nuclear - needs no backup. The other - renewables - needs backup of a scale that exists only on paper. I've asked time and again for costed *TWh-scale* storage, the proposals are never forthcoming. Because, on first principles, they're far too high and unlikely to ever decrease. Ask actual investors - which I have - in private, and they'll admit it. Almost nowhere are renewables outcompeting nuclear. What is outcompeting is greenwashed gas.

flgb 4y ago
I understand you are trying to make a general argument, but those dynamics are definitely not true of Australia. Our state with the highest share of renewable energy, South Australia, has not seen gas use increase as renewables have replaced coal. The idea that 100% of all renewable capacity has to be ‘backed up’ with firm capacity is not true in general, and certainly not true in the specific case of Australia given the solar and wind resources we have.
- modo_mario 4y ago
  >Our state with the highest share of renewable energy, South Australia, has not seen gas use increase as renewables have replaced coal. But there is still plenty of coal production no? Here Nuclear which is the vast majority of our production is being phased out due to political pressure. Our Greens push gas plants to cover the lowdays for renewables. Which variable production source is kept in mind in South Australia in the scenario where coal is pushed out all togheter? Is there a hydro dam or so?
  - Guidii 4y ago
    Yes, there is "still plenty of coal production" in Australia. Some references: Coal accounts for about 75 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation, followed by gas (16 per cent), hydro (5 per cent) and wind around (2 per cent).[1] About 92% of electricity in Ontario is produced from zero-carbon sources: 59% from nuclear, 24% from hydroelectricity, 8% from wind, and 1% from solar. [1] https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/overview#:~:text=Coal%20accounts%20for%20about%2075,around%20(2%20per%20cent) https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/overview#:~:t.... [2] https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-ontario.html#:~:text=about%2092%25%20of%20electricity%20in%20Ontario%20was%20produced%20from%20zero%2Dcarbon%20sources%3A%2059%25%20from%20nuclear%2C%2024%25%20from%20hydroelectricity%2C%208%25%20from%20wind%2C%20and%201%25%20from%20solar https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/pr....
- yodelshady 4y ago
  Agreed, absolutely not true of Australia.

flgb 4y ago

I understand you are trying to make a general argument, but those dynamics are definitely not true of Australia. Our state with the highest share of renewable energy, South Australia, has not seen gas use increase as renewables have replaced coal. The idea that 100% of all renewable capacity has to be ‘backed up’ with firm capacity is not true in general, and certainly not true in the specific case of Australia given the solar and wind resources we have.

modo_mario 4y ago
>Our state with the highest share of renewable energy, South Australia, has not seen gas use increase as renewables have replaced coal. But there is still plenty of coal production no? Here Nuclear which is the vast majority of our production is being phased out due to political pressure. Our Greens push gas plants to cover the lowdays for renewables. Which variable production source is kept in mind in South Australia in the scenario where coal is pushed out all togheter? Is there a hydro dam or so?
- Guidii 4y ago
  Yes, there is "still plenty of coal production" in Australia. Some references: Coal accounts for about 75 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation, followed by gas (16 per cent), hydro (5 per cent) and wind around (2 per cent).[1] About 92% of electricity in Ontario is produced from zero-carbon sources: 59% from nuclear, 24% from hydroelectricity, 8% from wind, and 1% from solar. [1] https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/overview#:~:text=Coal%20accounts%20for%20about%2075,around%20(2%20per%20cent) https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/overview#:~:t.... [2] https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-ontario.html#:~:text=about%2092%25%20of%20electricity%20in%20Ontario%20was%20produced%20from%20zero%2Dcarbon%20sources%3A%2059%25%20from%20nuclear%2C%2024%25%20from%20hydroelectricity%2C%208%25%20from%20wind%2C%20and%201%25%20from%20solar https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/pr....
yodelshady 4y ago
Agreed, absolutely not true of Australia.