When Mother Nature is working the controls, anything can happen; and, with wind and solar power generation, it usually does.
Massive surges and collapses in wind and solar power output – think storm fronts followed by dead calm weather and/or that daily event referred to as ‘sunset’ – are something that the system we once called ‘the power grid’ was never designed for.
Letting chaotically intermittent wind and solar loose in your power grid is like giving matches and kerosene to a pyromaniac. What happens next is as predictable as it is avoidable.
While there are plenty who claim that the days of coal-fired power plants are numbered, this little tale from Sunny Queensland says otherwise.
Journalist forces AEMO to face truth about curtailment capers with the grid
Catallaxy Files
Cardimona
26 August 2020
If you’re a wage slave at a left-wing newspaper (BIRM) you probably, literally, can’t afford to rock the boat, so I dips me lid to Tony Raggatt at the Townsville Bulletin. Well done, that man.
From today’s print edition…
POWER CUT SYSTEM FAULT TONY RAGGATT Ergon denies load shedding
A SYSTEM fault led to a lowcost electricity tariff supplying power throughout regional Queensland being inadvertently switched off, distributor and retailer Ergon Energy says.
Ergon was commenting after consumers raised concern about the outage, which lasted for about eight hours on Sunday.
The residential Tariff 33 is an interruptible supply used by consumers to cut the cost of their electricity bills but which is normally available for a minimum of 18 hours each day.
It is commonly used for pool pumps, hot water systems and air conditioners.
On Sunday, consumers complained in Facebook posts about not being able to use their air conditioners at a time when the air was thick with smoke from fires.
Some also questioned whether authorities were load shedding – cutting power to protect system security or mitigate damage to infrastructure.
But a spokeswoman for Ergon said the cutting of Tariff 33 was a system fault and not load shedding.
“For customers connected to Tariff 33 in regional Queensland, a system fault led to the tariff being inadvertently switched off for a number of hours,” an Ergon spokeswoman said.
“Tariff 33 channels were progressively restored throughout the day, with all channels returned to normal by 3.30pm.”
The spokeswoman said technical experts were investigating the cause of the fault, which had not occurred before.
Consumers on Facebook said the failure seemed odd at a time when demand on the system was low.
An independent candidate for the state seat of Hill, Tolga resident Peter Campion, said generation records showed the outputs of the Mount Emerald wind farm and the Sun Metals solar farm in North Queensland had been curtailed this month well below capacity.
Mr Campion said the reason for this was that one of the units of Rockhampton’s Stanwell coal-fired power station was offline and the level of intermittent power needed to be cut to maintain system stability.
A spokeswoman for regulator the Australian Energy Market Operator confirmed the reliance on coal-fired power but not Stanwell’s role.
“In order for inverter-based generation to be able to generate at full capacity in central and North Queensland – wind and solar farms including Sun Metals solar farm – a minimum amount synchronous generation – typically coal, hydro and gas power stations – must be online,” the spokeswoman said. [well that is something, they got to mention to the c word].
“The limits for inverter based generation depend on the specific combination of synchronous generators online at the time.”
In plainer language, the system is rooted if you allow access for too much unreliable energy and there is not enough coal power.
Catalaxy Files
STOP THESE THINGS 
Today I was just commenting in the local rag as to the ‘never’ ability of RE.
There are no ocean going sail-boats that don’t have a reliable backup motor for those becalmed days/weeks and, reliable close quarter maneuvering. Yet this reliable evidence is ignored, which seems totally stupid. Unless it’s considered that a dumbed down education system, that has teachers having unfortunately come through the same process further downgrading student intelligence. This also includes politicians having been subjected to the same system they are responsible for administering.
In addition, the 1900 Constitution of our Constitutional Monarchy was amended to suit the requirement of political dominance by “Queen Victoria her heirs and successors”, to become the first counted 1901 edition. A monarchy is not held to a constitution; it is a self perpetuating God given belief in superiority – Malthusian (the word is popping up a lot lately) eugenic fascism.
So we have a financial dictatorship, originating from the first Roman Empire, directing political parties to implement energy policy, that is only in the best interests of those who benefit from tax subsidies, and concessions provided by inescapable PAYE taxpayers.
With the majority of voters believing it’s all good.
It really doesn’t make sense unless the above makes it so.
Also odd is there is always money for war, or as is usually referred to as self-defence, without openly stating who an enemy is but continually using innuendo. All the while using unprovable make-believe to spin populations.
From what I’ve observed and experienced of education teaching what to learn rather than how to learn, Jim Kwik’s book Limitless does offer some degree of hope. But getting sufficient numbers in positions of manipulative control to see the light, so to speak, appears a daunting task; then again, old habits die hard.
Yet three new STT subscribers can influence many more.
Today’s (3rd Sept) Queensland news from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Deputy Stephen Miles regarding winning the AFL premiership finals: “I understand those negotiations are commercial in confidence but what I understand is also that the modelled economic contribution is much greater than the contribution that we’ve made to the cost of putting the final on.”
I think what they’re saying is ‘none of your business’ and ‘the predicted cost was more than taxpayers have paid’ and ‘$millions less than betted by other states’. How could they have gotten it so wrong? Residents of those other states should be told who the economic advisers were who didn’t have a clue. Apparently all above board with no backroom negotiations – that would make a change.
Mount Emerald Wind Farm has had curtailed output for months, at the direction of AEMO. AEMO has given Powerlink (owned by the state government) 12 months to “fix” the problem which is essentially caused by the inability of renewables to provide the type of power needed to keep the grid stable. The costs of this fix will be passed onto consumers – more hidden costs not factored into the real cost of renewable energy. See https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2020/05/06/powerlink-gets-arena-funding-to-investigate-system-strength-challenges-in-north-queensland/
The zealots, rent seekers and dancing monkeys notably Charismatic Kane and the Renewable Energy Messiah are getting a little twitchy at the moment.
With mere talk of the construction of a Collinsville based coal fired generator or talk of a gas fired recovery for Australian manufacturing.
Heaven forbid their mental sanity should anything occur!
Charismatic Kane in lock down is consuming pizza, sucking on a few Cooper’s pale ales and trying to cultivate some stubble on his face. I wonder why, whilst it’s growing wild on his arse.
He even saw fit to give the Clean Energy Council award for “outstanding Contribution to industry” to that other luminary Gilligan, editor of the zealots daily bible, “Ruin the Economy.
No doubt it is a precursor to Gilligan taking out a Darwin award. On that sad day, Gilligan shuffles off, I guess he will be buried in the interest of carbon capture, rather than jettisoned into the stratosphere by a series of gas fired Bunsen Burners.
As for the Messiah, I now subscribe to the rag “The West Australian” to see if he’s true to form and sent the goons in to give his mum’s front fence a spray job after she come out in support of Mike Shellenberger.
As they say idle minds do the devils work.
Love your work SOAG. Pure Gold.
It has come to my attention today, that unfortunately Gilligan may be suffering from some ill health.
Whilst I disagree with the bullshit he peddles in regards to renewables I certainly don’t wish ill health on him or any other zealot for that matter.
I apologise for any hurt caused to him and his family.