30yearsofhurt
Member
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-07/sa-to-get-worlds-biggest-lithium-ion-battery/8687268
More at the link.
For some historical context:
The world's largest lithium ion battery will be installed in South Australia under an agreement between Tesla, Neoen and the State Government, Premier Jay Weatherill has announced.
Tesla will build the battery which will store energy from French renewable company Neoen's Hornsdale Wind Farm, which is still under construction.
The project will be in place before summer.
According to the Government, Tesla boss Elon Musk has confirmed his commitment to deliver the battery within 100 days or it is free.
The 100 days starts once the grid interconnection agreement has been signed.
The Government has said the 100-megawatt (129 megawatt hour) battery places SA at the forefront of global energy storage technology.
The battery will operate at all times providing stability services for renewable energy and will be available to provide emergency back-up power if a shortfall in energy is predicted.
Mr Musk, who is the boss of Tesla and Space X, pledged via Twitter in March to fix South Australia's electricity within 100 days or the solution would be free.
The pledge caught the attention of the twittersphere and fellow billionaire tech guru Australian Mike Cannon-Brookes, who co-founded software company Atlassian, who tweeted, "Holy s#%t".
Mr Musk also spoke with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and followed up with talks with Mr Weatherill.
Later in March, the SA Government announced a $500-million power plan, which included owning and operating a $360-million gas-fired plant and building a 100MW battery before summer.
More at the link.
For some historical context:
- Australia had universal agreement on emissions trading between Labor (centre-left) and Liberal-National coalition (conservatives) back in 2009.
- A carbon tax was introduced by Labor at the behest of securing supply from Green party senators.
- Tony Abbott (ratbag extraordinaire and all round c***) rolled Malcolm Turnbull (silver spooned toff moderate) for leader of the conservatives.
- Labor rolled Kevin Rudd (mild mannered lunatic) as PM and installed Julia Gillard (cardboard cutout ginger-nut) in his place.
- Tony Abbott ran one of the most vile and misogynistic NEWS Ltd assisted campaigns in Australian electoral history against Gillard (tame by american standards)
- Parliament hung after 2010 election.
- Gillard gets shit done in minority government for next three years in face of internal bickering and vile NEWS Ltd coverage.
- 2013 election is run with the carbon tax as the key issue.
- Labor is routed, Abbott prime minister.
- Carbon tax repealed.
- Investment in new coal power stations stops in its tracks as Electricity generators can't make plans in an environment where the price of renewable power is dropping and the regulatory framework is uncertain. Investment in wind and solar farms increases much to the displeasure of conservatives.
- Conservative coalition is a mess and Abbott quickly becomes massively unpopular.
- Abbott gets rolled and replaced with Turnbull. Conservatives cry. The majority of Australians breath a sigh of relief.
- 2016 election sees Turnbull hang on to power by one seat.
- South Australia has a major power emergency after severe weather damages power infrastructure. Conservatives try to blame wind farms.
- Elon Musk makes offer to South Australia of solar and battery infrastructure.
- Massive price rises for electricity hit Australia due to mothballing of aged and ancient coal power plants.
- South Australia say 'yes' to Musk's offer.