Power

The Crisafulli Government is ensuring local communities are consulted on two new wind farm developments, in line with the LNP’s election commitment. Wind farm development applications for the Marmadua Energy Park and the Middle Creek Energy Hub, 23km east of Tara, and 15km south of Wandoan respectively, have been issued with proposed ‘call in’ notices. 

Joanna Tucker. Last week, about 25,000 Yorke Peninsula residents were without electricity for almost 20 hours ... SA Power Networks said ElectraNet, South Australia’s main transmission network service provider, advised them that insulator pollution had caused a fault at its Hummocks substation.

Rachel Hagan. Businesses across Yorke Peninsula went dark and many closed their doors on Friday, March 14, after the peninsula was hit with a complete power and phone outage. However, some managed to stay open with the use of back-up generators and some out-of-the-box thinking.

Victoria has long faced the devastating impact of powerline-related bushfires, with outdated Single Wire Earth Return powerlines responsible for 30 to 40 fires each year. Despite almost ten years of successful trials, partially funded by the Victorian Government, which prove that early fault detectors for powerlines can prevent bushfires, the technology has yet to be widely rolled out ... ARR.News asked some further questions of IND.T CEO, Professor Alan Wong.

Kate Stapleton. Rainbow Power Company (RPC) has been working collaboratively with two local schools this year to help keep schools powering on. The Rainbow Ridge Steiner School and Tuntable Falls Primary School received funding ... both schools have batteries and solar, it means they can continue to operate when the power goes out.

"I focus today on energy policy, because this is a government that 97 times promised before they were elected that they would reduce power bills permanently by $275 per annum. That promise was officially broken on January 1, this year. They hate us talking about it. It was a big promise, it was a bold promise, and it is broken": Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Essential Services Commission’s decision to grant Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) an electricity transmission licence must not be treated as a license to steamroll landholders in the path of planned renewable energy projects. Amongst a raft of new powers, the licence enables TCV workers to legally enter farms and carry out preparatory works for the VNI West powerline without the need to obtain landholder consent. 

If you have driven south on the Cobb Highway recently, you’d have seen a veritable village pop up on the horizon. This sea of modular buildings set on a hard ground base is home to 250 people, workers for Transgrid and Elecnor. Calling it a camp is almost deceptive, but in a positive way.

In an ironic twist that many joked could have conspiracy written all over it, last Monday’s Community Meeting in Murrabit, to discuss the VNI West transmission line project, at the Murrabit Golf Club, lost power just before the meeting commenced.

The Crisafulli Government has delivered a key election commitment with all wind farm developments becoming impact assessable from Monday, 3 February. The new planning pathway for regulating wind farms is the first step to requiring all renewable projects be impact assessable and subject to the same rigorous approval process as other major development projects.

About 12.30pm Western Power said weather conditions had impacted Western Power’s network with dozens of pole top fires affecting power supply to about 38,000 homes and businesses throughout Perth and the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions.

“This hybrid configuration redefines operational flexibility. Our system enables simultaneous export of solar power to the grid and independent operation of the battery for energy export or storage. By optimising existing grid infrastructure, we are enabling renewable energy to be dispatched when needed, delivering cost-effective power to South Australia" : Owen Sela, Head of Vena Energy in Australia.

A new report from Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the Geological Survey of New South Wales, has found elevated levels of natural hydrogen and helium in locations throughout New South Wales.

The 150 megawatt battery installed by Engie at the old Hazelwood power station site has just had its first birthday – and the company is very happy with its ability to produce electricity when needed and its financial performance.

The ever-increasing number of stories of the difficulties faced by landowners when dealing with transmission network builder, TransGrid, points to an organisation with no knowledge of, and no interest in learning about, the land, and the peoples living on that land, through which they are building those networks.

Western Power says power has been restored to all 150 customers affected by the bushfire in Cowalla, Wanerie and Karakin. Twenty power poles were destroyed by the bushfire, which was reported at 12.03pm on Tuesday, December 31.

The Betts/Barbour/Hume family’s 157-year-old agricultural and biodiversity conservation property is at a critical point. It may not survive this latest challenge to its viability. If it fails, it will take with it decades of labour and investment expended on protecting an extremely environmentally, historically, agriculturally and culturally important area.