The SA government has finally unveiled its plans to secure the state’s energy future

In a bid to lower electricity prices and curb recent blackouts, the South Australian government today announced a $550 million plan to secure its energy future. The project includes a large battery storage project, a government-owned gas power station and additional gas resources.

The plan comes in the same week that Tesla’s Elon Musk, the man most likely to send humans to Mars, offered to assist South Australia in building a battery farm within 100 days.

The state’s premier, Jay Weatherill, said that his government’s plan demonstrated that SA was ready to “go it alone”. Weatherill will also introduce legislation [possible paywall] to allow the state’s energy minister to override the national electricity market, giving the minister control over the extra power from generators if it is deemed necessary.

The SA Greens have responded by calling on the state government to ensure it looks beyond gas and coal to solve the energy crisis, including a focus on renewable energy. As well as committing to Tesla’s proposed 100 megawatt grid-scale battery farm, the Greens suggest that a solar power plant in Port Augusta will ensure solar stays affordable.

Federal Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young labelled the Tesla proposal a game changer and said that the constant attacks by the Turnbull government [possible paywall] on renewables will lead to uncertainty, instability and high prices …

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Amy Maguire, The Monthly