Extreme weather over summer could reduce the output of coal, gas and hydro power generators and cause problems with the reliability of electricity supply, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Energy minister declares Snowy Hydro expansion ‘fundamental’ to Australia Read more Aemo will on Friday release advice about its summer readiness plan for 2018.
It says the weather bureau is predicting warmer-than-average temperatures in the coming months, with heatwaves of shorter duration in the south but longer duration in the northern regions.
“Extreme temperatures and events including bushfires, lightning and storms can reduce the output of thermal, solar and wind generation, impact transmission lines and result in loss of supply.
Part of the response will include demand management, with 132MW of reserves available to support reliability in Victoria.
The costs of contracting the additional supply are passed through to energy consumers.
Clean energy is cheap, surging – and headed for a fall Read more Aemo’s chief executive, Audrey Zibelman, says the new supply “will alleviate the short-term risk of involuntary load shedding during summer peak periods” but says integration will be important to ensure ongoing reliability and stability of Australia’s power system throughout the year.
The assessment notes that the high uptake of rooftop solar is pushing back peak demand to later in the evening because power consumers are generating more of their own supply during the day.
Zibelman said she was confident Aemo had put in place the necessary procedures to minimise the risks over the coming summer.
“Aemo is confident the plans we have made and the targeted actions we have taken in collaboration with the wider energy industry and governments, have appropriately equipped us to tackle any unforeseeable events the upcoming summer might bring,” she said.