Australia plans 'last line of defence' against blackouts
The Australian Energy Market Commission has published regulations aimed at protecting the grid from blackouts caused by its increasing reliance on renewably energy sources. Its chairman, John Pierce, said the rules, described as the 'last line of defence', will reduce risk arising from the growing proportion of power that derives from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. The commission wants the new rules to provide the greatest stability of supply at the least cost to consumers, given renewables’ increasingly lower pricing. Electricity networks will be required to meet minimum inertia levels and make sure they can deal with periods when demand exceeds supply.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released what it calls a "last line of defence" against blackouts - a package of new rules that incorporate renewable energy sources.

The energy market regulator's chairman, John Pierce, said the latest rules were designed to address "risks to energy security created by the power system's changing generation mix" with its rising proportion of renewable energy such as wind and solar power.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), which runs the nation's largest gas and electricity markets, is forecasting more than 19,000 MW of proposed new energy capacity for the coming years, with nearly two-thirds of that coming from wind power as costs of renewable technologies are falling.

"As the power system continues to evolve", the new rules "require networks to provide a minimum level of system strength to help keep the system stable," the AEMC's Mr Pierce said.