Green electricity is TOO COSTLY for Africa (and Australia)

In today's "The Australian" newspaper there is an interesting article by environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg about the huge extra cost of providing electricity from wind farms and solar plants, compared to conventional power stations using coal. In South Africa coal powers 90% of electricity at a cost to the consumer of US 9 cents per kWh. It is easy and cheap to cut coal (particulate) pollution by 90% or more with scrubbers. CO2 emissions are considered to be beneficial to humanity and the biosphere.

However, in some other African countries, using a mix of hydro, gas and oil, in the grid/population centers in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Kenya the cost will likely be 25 cents per kWh. Lomborg concludes that for the forseeable future, electricity will be generated by burning fossil fuels.

Hydroelectric power stations are by far the best source of renewable energy and for some lucky mountainous countries hydro is the main power source eg New Zealand, Norway etc. However, South Australia where I live has no hydroelectric power stations, and has been UNfortunate to experience a decade of Labor Governments hell bent on making the State the leader of renewable energy in Australia. True, we have the most wind farms of any state (26 or more) and also the highest domestic cost of electricity at 31 cents per kWh because of this stupid eco-religious goal. The state elections are due in 3 month's time (March). Let's toss out this inept Labor Government of Premier Jay Weatherill and replace it with a Liberal Government that will STOP the wind farms and aid in development of our coal, gas and uranium resources for domestic power production. Merry Xmas from Allano

South Australia power supply? Coal and Uranium are the best bet.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: lots of talk-back radio discussions on replacing/upgrading the Port Augusta old Playford A & B coal-fired power station (ca 330MW) with natural gas, or, the lady Mayor wants a solar-gas plant. The Playford plant was built in 1950's and the nearby Northern Power station (coal) of 520 MW was commissioned in 1985. The coal comes from the Leigh Ck coal field ca 280 kms north by dedicated rail link, mining ca 2.5 million tonnes annually.

Will the best decision be made???? God help us in SA!! Already the state is bristling with useless wind farms thanks to former Premier Mike Rann, and our power bills continually escalate. We have an unwanted/unneeded $2 billion desalination plant unfinished and earmarked to run on expensive power from windmills. We have the present Premier Jay Weatherall ignoring the MISMANAGEMENT of the Lower Lakes and how this stuffs up the management of the WHOLE of the Murray Darling Basin.

My suggestion for the future SA power supply, and this should be on the table for review and costing, is as follows: (it's is devoid of eco-BS). The existing Pt Augusta power stations which are coal-fired can be modernized and continued to use Leigh Ck coal. I am assuming that PM Julia's Labor Government and Carbon tax will be voted out ASAP, if not sooner. What Pt Augusta has now with its power stations are a very valuable asset producing the cheapest electricity.

Another prime site for a coal-fired power plant is where the desalination plant is located south of Adelaide (formerly an oil refinery site). A 500 MW plant could be built there with coal shipped in from the East Coast. It could power the desalination plant (God forbid!) and Adelaide city during heat waves etc.

Also, as I suggested and submitted to BHP about the power supply for the Olympic Dam mine expansion, was the idea having a nuclear power station there, building up in stages of say 250 MW to maybe 1000 MW eventually to power electrification of the Adelaide to Darwin rail link plus all the new mining activity in the region.

If you let the Federal and SA State Governments be run by eco-religious socialists you get what you voted for ... ever increasing power and water bills and poverty for the workers and pensioners. Do something about it! Allano