Recent announcements that two big batteries will be built at coal-fired power stations in NSW are great news for the energy system and regional communities across Australia.
They will likely be some of the world's biggest when they're completed, able to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
The billion-dollar investments are a strong sign that when it comes to choosing technology to secure our grid, energy companies see better economic returns from batteries than gas.
These batteries follow new batteries in Victoria and South Australia, where more investments have also been announced.
They further undermine the federal government's push to build a new gas-fired generator in NSW.
This proposal is not only uneconomical but unnecessary as investors are building plenty of renewable energy generation.
This shift away from gas is inevitable, driven by cheap renewables pushing down electricity prices over the past few years.
Read the full article published in the Beaudesert Times 25th January 2021