Reliable Renewables are Here Now

Jenny Cottle

One of the arguments frequently put up against renewable energy is that it can not provide base load power. Base load power is the continual supply of the minimum electrical supply over 24 hours. In other words we need power sources which generate power 24 hours a day to provide a complete affordable electricity system.

For example, it is argued that solar can’t provide base load power because the sun doesn’t shine at night, or in the case of wind, the wind does not blow all the time.

The fact of the matter is this is simply untrue – this is a characteristic of coal and nuclear power plants – it is not an essential requirement of modern energy production. We produce enough renewable energy to provide for base load demands, and with improved storage technology we will be able to save enough power to supply peak demand.

Another argument against large scale renewable energy is that it’s too expensive – not true. Almost daily, innovations in technology in making renewable energy even more affordable. In addition, in many countries, fossil fuels are heavily subsidised, which if these subsidies were removed, then coal and gas power would be more expensive than renewable power.

In a recent release by Greenpeace Australia, they state that, “under the Renewable Energy Target, household electricity bills will decrease by $50 a year by 2020. If the target is kept in place, Australians will see savings of up to $140 each year after 2020.”

And whilst there are proposals and actions by the Australian Government which threatens the Renewable Energy Target, the good news is that they do not have a mandate for this.

Polling shows that 72% of Australians want to keep or expand the Renewable Energy Target which requires that 20% of energy is sourced from renewable energy by 2020.

Two Russian physicists have just launched a campaign to rebuild Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower. Tesla believed that the tower could transmit power wirelessly. This project could provide an efficient, worldwide energy transmission system that would distribute clean energy to where it is most needed.