How a bet on social media turned into a problem for renewable energy

JACK ALYMER: WHAT STARTED AS A BET ON SOCIAL MEDIA-

HAS LED TO ONE OF THE MOST UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS IN THE GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION.

BACK IN 20-17, AUSTRALIA WAS HIT WITH A SERIES OF STORMS THAT EXPOSED VULNERABILITIES IN ITS FOSSIL FUEL RELIANT POWER INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT WAS A PROBLEM ELON MUSK CLAIMED ON TWITTER HE COULD SOLVE IN JUST 100 DAYS.

WHEN CHALLENGED ON THIS, THE TESLA CEO SAID HIS COMPANY WOULD GET IT DOWN WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME OR ALL THEIR WORK WOULD BE FREE.

AND MUSK MADE IT HAPPEN.

WITHIN 100 DAYS, TESLA INSTALLED THE WORLD’S LARGEST LITHIUM ION BATTERY-

DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE-SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA.

WHAT’S FOLLOWED IN THE ENSUING YEARS HAS BEEN A SOLAR POWER BOOM THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

SO MUCH SO, THAT AUSTRALIA IS NOW ACTUALLY PRODUCING TOO MUCH ENERGY FROM THIS RENEWABLE SOURCE.

ABOUT 1 OUT OF EVERY 3 HOMES IN THE COUNTRY GENERATE ELECTRICITY FROM SOLAR PANELS-

TOTALING OVER THREE AND A HALF MILLION RESIDENCES.

MAKING AUSTRALIA A WORLD LEADER ON A PER CAPITA BASIS OF INSTALLED SOLAR SYSTEMS.

BUT, THE RISE OF SOLAR POWER HERE HAS LED TO SUPPLY SOMETIMES OUTWEIGHING ENERGY DEMAND.

AT FIRST, SOLAR PANEL OWNERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO SELL THAT EXCESS ELECTRICITY BACK TO THE GRID.

BUT NOW BECAUSE EVEN THE GRID IS BEING OVERWHELMED, ENERGY PROVIDERS HAVE INSTEAD INTRODUCED A TAX ON SOLAR PANEL OWNERS WHO ARE PRODUCING TOO MUCH ELECTRICITY.

TO BETTER HANDLE THIS SOLAR POWER INFLUX, AUSTRALIA IS TURNING BACK TO THE TECH THAT KICKSTARTED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

PLANNING TO BRING SEVERAL ADDITIONAL LARGE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES ON LINE BY 20-25-

WITH MORE IN THE WORKS FOR THE FUTURE. 

AS THE COUNTRY TRIES TO INCREASE ITS STORAGE CAPACITY THAT EXPERTS PREDICT WILL HAVE TO GROW BY AS MUCH AS 14 FOLD BEFORE 20-50.

FOR STORIES ABOUT HOW THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION IS TAKING SHAPE AROUND THE WORLD, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME — JACK AYLMER.