Coal & Gas
Strengths:
Established industry: Coal has powered Australian homes and businesses for decades, forming a significant part of the economy.
Reliable energy source: Coal plants provide consistent baseload power. Gas is a useful fuel to smooth a transition to sun & wind
Weaknesses:
Environmental impact: Coal and gas are both major contributors to climate pollution, significantly driving climate change.
Aging infrastructure: Many of Australia’s coal plants are nearing the end of their operational lives, requiring urgent action on replacements.
Cost concerns: As global markets shift toward cleaner energy, coal is increasingly losing its economic viability, even for export
Nuclear
Strengths:
Low emissions: Nuclear power produces minimal greenhouse gases during operation.
Reliable baseload power: Like coal, nuclear plants can provide consistent and stable energy output.
Weaknesses:
High costs: Building nuclear plants is extremely expensive, with significant upfront and maintenance costs.
Long timelines: It could take decades to build nuclear facilities, delaying the availability of new power sources.
Safety concerns: The potential for accidents, though rare, poses risks to human health and the environment.
Waste management: Nuclear waste poses a significant challenge, facing strong opposition from local communities and requiring secure storage for thousands of years.
Limited impact: Even if implemented, nuclear power would likely contribute only a small percentage of Australia’s energy needs.
Sun & Wind
Strengths:
Affordable: Renewables, particularly solar and wind, are among the cheapest energy sources to deploy, and getting cheaper all the time.
Waste-free: These technologies generate power without creating harmful byproducts.
Pollution free: Renewables produce no emissions during operation, making them vital for combating climate change.
Speed of deployment: Solar and wind farms can be built quickly, allowing for rapid scaling to meet demand.
Readily available: Australia’s abundant sun and wind resources make renewables a natural fit.
Storable: Becoming more easily stored as battery technologies rapidly improve.
Weaknesses:
Intermittency: Solar and wind power depend on weather conditions, requiring investment in storage solutions like batteries.
Initial costs: While declining, the upfront costs for renewable infrastructure can still be significant.
Ugly: Wind turbines are seen by some as ugly.
Hydroelectric Power
Strengths:
Affordable operation: Low running costs once dams are built.
Clean generation: Provides zero-emissions power once built.
Longevity: Once built, dams can continue to provide hydroelectric power for generations
Weaknesses:
Location limited: Requires specific geography and water resources.
Environmental impact: Dams can permanently alter rivers and ecosystems.
High upfront costs: Major infrastructure investment needed.
Long-term climate vulnerability: Drought or changes in climate can affect dam levels and power
generation over time.
Energy storage: Batteries
(short to medium term)
Strengths:
Fast response: Instant power delivery when needed.
Versatile deployment: Can be installed almost anywhere.
Modular design: Easy to scale up or down as needed.
Improving technology: Costs continue to fall as efficiency increases.
Grid services: Ultra-fast response times help to stabilise the grid.
Weaknesses:
Current costs: Still expensive for long-term storage.
Degradation: Capacity can decrease over time.
Energy storage: Pumped Hydro
(medium to long term)
Strengths:
Large scale storage: Can store massive amounts of energy.
Long duration: Can provide power for days or weeks, depending on design.
Long lifespan: Once built, pumped hydro can continue to operate for many decades.
Weaknesses:
Location limited: Requires specific geography and water resources.
Environmental impact: Dams can permanently alter rivers and ecosystems.
Construction costs: Major upfront investment needed.
Development time: Can take several years to plan and build.
