SA Labor’s Renewables And Energy Storage Targets – Reactions

Image: SA Labor

If you’re a renewable energy supporter, South Australia has been a pretty exciting place to be recently and yesterday was no exception.

As we reported yesterday, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill announced that if Labor is returned to power following the upcoming election, it will lift the state’s Renewable Energy Target to 75 per cent by 2025.

But there was more to come shortly after.

Also announced was the establishing of an energy storage target of “25%” by 2025, which SA Labor says will drive the rollout of 750MW of storage. $20 million will be set aside to incentivise existing and  new renewable energy generators to install energy storage.

“More renewable energy means cheaper power for South Australians and energy storage is the key to delivering that low-cost electricity around the clock,” Mr Weatherill said.

The announcements met with mixed reactions from various corners.

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The Climate Council said SA remains ahead of the pack.

“South Australia is really raising the stakes when it comes to Australia’s renewables and energy storage race,” said Professor Andrew Stock. “This is another step in the right direction towards tackling climate change.”

The Clean Energy Council stated both targets were “genuinely world-class ambitions”.

“The energy storage target in particular is exactly what is needed to help deliver higher levels of wind and solar while ensuring the ongoing reliability of the power system,” said CEC Chief Executive Kane Thornton. ” The government is driving a shift toward clean energy which will reduce its exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices and make the state much more competitive in the future – while creating business opportunities in the here and now.”

While grassroots advocacy group SolarCitizens had been gunning for 100% renewables by 2025, they seemed well pleased with the 75%/25%, stating “this is huge”.

“Solar citizens from across the state have been calling for an increase in SA’s renewable target and now both Labor and the Greens have committed,” stated the group.

SolarCitizens also called on the Liberals to dump their plan of scrapping the state RET.

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Needless to say, those on the other side of the political fence from Labor were rather scathing.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg was certainly not amused. He was in Adelaide yesterday to announce funding for a couple of pumped hydro energy storage feasibility studies and to address the AICC  on the National Energy Guarantee, which appears to have little hope (at this stage) in getting a guernsey in SA – and therefore ever making it to prime time.

“South Australia already has the highest prices & least stable system in Oz,” he tweeted. “Now @JayWeatherill wants to make it worse with a new 75% renewable energy target. He’s like a problem gambler who doubles down to chase his losses!”

The state’s Shadow Minister for Energy And Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said the commitment would see electricity prices pushed up further.

“Do not be fooled by claims that increasing the amount of renewable energy too quickly will reduce the price of power – it’s another Labor lie,” he said.

A debate about the merits of the new targets wouldn’t be complete without input from Craig “Renewables Kill” Kelly, who made a couple of brief comments about it on Facebook.

“Madness has overtaken,” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

…the latter was all in capitals, so Mr. Kelly must have been really wound up about it. It’s a very good thing then that he doesn’t live in South Australia.

Meh..

According to an ABC report, Green Energy Markets‘ Tristan Edis said SA could reach 75% renewables without the target; largely due to GFG Alliances’ Sanjeev Gupta’s vision for Whyalla and local renewables.

“If the GFG Alliance projects go ahead then, no matter which way you measure the target, we’re already set to go very close to 75 per cent renewables on a business as usual basis,” Mr Edis said. “So it looks like SA Labor are up to their old tricks of claiming credit for something they have little to do with.”

Other SA Renewables Related Announcements

It’s getting hard to keep track of all that’s going on in the renewables scene in SA at the moment. In addition to the Government’s new commitments made on Tuesday, some other notable announcements for the state that occurred yesterday:

• Carnegie Clean Energy will install a 3MW solar (which could be expanded) and 2MW/500kWh battery microgrid at the former Holden site in Elizabeth.
• Energy storage company 1414Degrees has opened their new offices in Flinders Street, Adelaide.
• AGIG and Siemens will install a hydrogen electrolyser at Tonsley that will convert clean electricity into gas to be injected into SA’s gas network.

We also have a brief summary of other Labor Government backed/supported SA energy projects announced in recent weeks in yesterday’s article.