2017-03-11
Elon Musk's proposal to solve South Australia’s energy crisis with battery storage is the game changer our state needs to switch back on, Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young says.
“I'm not a gambling woman, but what do we have to lose here? Blackouts, expensive power bills, or cheap and clean renewable energy with reliable battery storage - the answer is staring us in the face,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
"To make batteries work the government will have to change the energy market rules - so the market can't keep being gamed by the big old power companies who've been screwing SA for too long. This is a win for householders because power prices will be forced down. Who doesn't want that?
"We live in the perfect state for wind and solar. Battery technology allows us to make hay while the sun shines, storing the power so we can use it when we want and need. While chairing a senate inquiry into battery storage, I’ve heard evidence that if 20,000 homes with solar panels had a battery as well, the load shedding that cut off the air conditioning when we needed it most last month wouldn’t have happened.
"This is the innovation Malcolm Turnbull promised when he declared he would be the ‘Innovation Prime Minister’. It’s time he showed his hand on SA's energy crisis - because putting it all on black is not a solution.
"It's a wager we should double down on!"
Media contact: Amy Moran 0427 604 760
Media Release Science, Research and Innovation Energy