An Australian state heavily reliant on wind power for its electricity needs generated literally no energy from turbines Tuesday, according to government data.
South Australia generated an average of 35 percent of its energy needs using wind turbines in 2015, but wind turbines provided zero megawatts of power Tuesday afternoon.
Note that at 2.30pm on Budget day, South Aust wind energy output is zero megawatts. God help us all. #auspol #saparli #springst #renewables pic.twitter.com/pnhyDpwco1
— Brett Hogan (@brettahogan) May 9, 2017
South Australia’s reliance on wind power has been a point of contention. An October report from the Australian Energy Market Operator blamed a massive blackout in September on a wind farm that suddenly stopped providing power, destabilizing the grid.
Liberal Party Sen. Chris Back formally called for a moratorium on new turbines after the blackout so the government could do a cost-benefit analysis of wind power. Back said over-reliance on wind turbines drove up electricity prices and posed serious blackout risks in South Australia.
“There should be no further subsidies paid for an intermittent and unreliable power source that can be seen as a proven failure. There are solutions to our climate challenges but wind power is not one of them,” Back told The Australian.
South Australian electricity prices rose to 200 cents per kilowatt-hour during the blackout power crisis. The average Australian currently pays about 25 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity, according to research by the country’s parliament.
South Australia plans to invest another $100 million into green energy.
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