Renewable

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind require a lot of resources to produce power, and technologies like batteries and pumped hydro don't generate power themselves but still use resources. Plus, renewable energy systems have shorter lifespans and require additional transmission lines, which may not be the most efficient way to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions.

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It's worth noting that all the mining, transportation, and manufacturing processes for renewables currently rely on fossil fuels. On top of that, these systems will need to be replaced multiple times by 2050, whereas a well-maintained thermal plant could run effectively for 60-80 years.

According to recent data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO - 2022), wind farms typically only provide about 30% of their installed capacity, while solar panels perform even lower at under 20%. The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWOREZ) has plans for 54 projects with a total capacity of 14.6GW, but the designated Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) can only accommodate 4.5GW, highlighting the need for significant overbuilding to reach a third of the intended capacity. It's interesting to note that a gas turbine plant has been approved for construction in Dubbo, situated within the REZ, suggesting that there may be limitations to relying solely on wind and solar energy in the region.

Potentially the way that current governments have gone about the restructuring of our energy systems will prove to be one of the most short sighted, short term fix and history will reflect that as a turning point this will be a catastrophic moment. In that there will be a perpetual need to increase pricing, not reduce it for energy which will create a constant cycle of inflation across the board. In other words, everything made, transported, consumed etc relies on energy. Therefore what was once a stable reliable part of our lives in how we consume energy, will become a cost burden so huge that there will be no turning back.

Stuart Howe Independent, Parkes 2025-your voice matters.