Australia Prepares for a Power Grid Without Spinning Turbines
- Declining use of coal plants is reducing network stability
- Renewables switch off instantly, unlike traditional generators
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Australia is preparing for its next step away from fossil fuels by creating a market to replace the spinning coal plant turbines that help stabilize the power grid.
The government’s adviser on energy policy, the Australian Energy Market Commission, is consulting on a rule change for a spot market in inertia provision, it said in a statement on Thursday. Australia’s world-leading usage of wind, solar and batteries has led to “new and previously unobserved operational conditions,” it said.