That's an interesting metric to use (subsidy per Mwh)/tonnes of C02 displaced with quite the opposite effect of carbon pricing which favours black over brown coal. The Wheatley study suggests a sliding scale for emissions displacement which could refine those estimates eg only 50% displacement at 20% wind penetration due to inefficient thermal backup. The 2014 RET review found that the average cost of CO2 displaced was $59 per tonne presumably that figure is now about doubled.

The take home message is that the RET is a costly and ineffective way to reduce emissions. In 2017 the large scale RET will be a tad over 26 million Mwh. Times $85/Mwh that's $2.2 bn on power bills yet our emissions are not decreasing. So what is the point of the RET? From the angst over criticism of SA outages (e.g. calling for apologies by the PM) it almost seems like blasphemy ... that is questioning something we have to take on faith.

We've got two energy policies, one by tweedledum and the other by tweedle dumber! And they've done the unthinkable with politicizing it and privatizing it. With the end result a 106% increase in power prices in just ten short years! And just what you'd expect when really dumb economic make the people servants to the economy, the state and privileged special interest! And only possible because politicians as a demographic are never ever asked to wear the consequences of their born to rule decisions! Well that day has all but run its course and to prove it, minor parties are baying at the heels of recalcitrant incompetents.

Our energy policy is a dog's breakfast, designed to encourage speculative debt laden foreign investment, and sell us down the river?

And dumb as dishwater when viewed solely through the prism of results/outcomes! The collapse of manufacture and an energy bill that outstrips wages as we are price gouged out of international markets and worse!

Like foreign investors taking over some of our primary industry. Then using our clean green image to push products produced elsewhere, all while allowing our own industries to wither on the vine.

None of which could ever happen when we Australians and the national interest trumped political self serving self interest; and or diabolically dumb policies! Sadly, and however unpalatable, the only way to change it, is to change those and the mindsets that created it!

Bring on the next election!
Alan B.

The responsibility for the electricity networks in the states is 100% the responsibility of the states. With labor in power for 15yrs there is no one else they can blame, but it won't stop them trying:...

"Following the blackout last Wednesday in South Australia, the fourth in as many months, Labor has made four excuses for why the latest outage occurred. None goes to the heart of the real issue, namely the ideological pursuit of ever increasing amounts of wind and solar power without properly considering the impact on the stability and reliability of the grid.

First, Labor has sought to shift blame to the federal government by suggesting we should have ­directed the Australian Energy Market Operator to “turn on” Pelican Point power station while absolving the Weatherill government of any responsibility. There is no ­explicit provision in the national electricity law, or rules, that give the commonwealth the power to direct AEMO to shed loads or switch on a generator.

But for states it is different. They do have the express power to direct AEMO in an emergency situation. Labor’s energy and ­environment spokesmen, Mark Butler and Tony Burke, seem to be ignorant of these basic facts. Last week Burke said “the state government is not in a position to direct the federal body” and Butler said “the one person who doesn’t have the power to intervene is the South Australian ­government”.

Embarrassingly, Labor could not sustain this position for 24 hours. When it was put to ­Butler the next day that the state government did have the power to declare an emergency situation and direct the AEMO, he meekly conceded “yes, and that is what happened in the statewide ­blackout”."

Yes be scared very scared of the intransigent locked and bolted mindsets on both sides of the isle; that brought with it the collapse of manufacture in this country and all who depend on it!

It's all very well to talk endlessly about technical innovation, but refuse point blank to adopt it?

Why? Because we can't get permission from our political masters?

What else can it be, we are after all, a self governed sovereign nation or were the last time I looked!?

It's not a political football anyone can score political points with, but particularly when their only remedy is to sell the farm, our heritage and economic sovereignty to our international competition.

We need the end of all the blame shifting finger pointing, which needs to be replaced by Australia first, bipartisan pragmatism, as opposed to go absolutely nowhere, political point scoring!

Everybody with a still functional cerebral cortex, knows we need to roll out nuclear power and as tried and not found wanting in any aspect, molten salt thorium power!

What prevents? Lack of permission? Or the fact that many many foreign interests might have to take quite a significant financial haircut?

Or lose their financial grip on our almost bled white economy completely? Tough titties and not what we need at front and centre of this diabolical debacle.

Don't just do something Mal, stand there trotting out a absolute smorgasbord of imbecilic excuses and finger pointing blame shifting! As you use that and other tactics, to endlessly delay fixing anything!

We've had the talk and shoveled by the ship load! Time to walk the walk or hand the reins to someone else with a few (rigidly resisted) new ideas!
Alan B.

Stop the rot! No more RET and rent-seekers. Return power generation to where belongs - in government hands on behalf of the people, not with Chinese price-gougers

SM -
"The responsibility for the electricity networks in the states is 100% the responsibility of the states. With labor in power for 15yrs there is no one else they can blame, but it won't stop them trying:..."

Wrong : from the AEMO function statement...

"As the power systems operator for both the National and Wholesale Electricity Markets, AEMO is responsible for maintaining power system security and reliability.
The Future Power System Security program seeks to identify opportunities and challenges to power system security and stability that could arise in the long-term (nominally a 10-year outlook), and promote solutions as soon as practicable where appropriate."

Clearly SA is NOT responsible for the network nor is NSW, WA, VIC in the context of security and reliability.

SM - "But for states it is different. They do have the express power to direct AEMO in an emergency situation. Labor’s energy and ­environment spokesmen, Mark Butler and Tony Burke, seem to be ignorant of these basic facts. Last week Burke said “the state government is not in a position to direct the federal body” and Butler said “the one person who doesn’t have the power to intervene is the South Australian ­government”."

Wrong : from the AEMO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT statement

"AEMO’s electricity emergency arrangements provide a framework for the coordination of electricity emergencies across the National Electricity Market (NEM). These arrangements – which are based on national emergency management principles established by Emergency Management Australia – outline the roles and responsibilities of AEMO, government, and industry during an energy emergency. This is key in ensuring the NEM and its participants respond to power system emergency situations in a way that protects:
The safety of employees and the public.
The continuity of supply to customers.
The security of the power system..."

The SA government may request intervention from AEMO but it is AEMO's responsibility to handle the emergency.

So the failure of power in SA is absolutely the fault of the AEMO!