Brian, I went to the Daily web site but while there are a number of
articles there I could not identify the one to which you referred.
Can you please send a link.
Before I even read it I bet he does not explain how and when you
recharge the batteries.

Hi Baz,
Here is the link
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2021/11/25/carbon-taxes-australia-kohler/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20News%20-%2020211125

Of course the coal fired generators would still be happily supplying reliable cheap power, requiring no subsidies, if unreliable renewable wind & solar were not given preferential treatment, with the grid required to take all they produce .

If coal & gas could compete on equal terms our power would be a lot cheaper & more reliable.

Brian, the article is mainly concerned with the co2 tax which while
important in itself is not relevant to the problem of electricity supply.
As far as the tax is concerned I guess you have heard of the Russian Oligarchs.
They made a fortune out of the European investors by selling co2
certificates generated by closing down decrepit Russian factories they
bought for a song from the Soviet government.
I would suggest that our own oligarchs might be on the same gravy train.
However I think the electrical system will collapse before they can
milk it dry.
When that happens, whichever politicians and varying combinations
of them are in power, will simply scrub everything and restart from scratch.
We are already on a predetermined path to economic failure dermined
by the failure of the electrical system.
The current problems with the supply chains are similar to what the
electrical failure will trigger.
My son bought a new car recently, 2 weeks ago, he can sell it for more
than he paid for it this week !

As Taswegian pointed out, Desertec was going to be the powerhouse of Europe, yet that turned into a farce. Thermal storage is a tenth the cost of battery storage, and it isn't cost competitive either. Further, the German example shows that if you want to have even a quarter of your power from renewables you need French nuclear to keep things from failing.

Australia would be better off copying the Chinese by building some coal fired power stations that could have the furnaces swapped over with fourth generation nuclear should they be developed.

My hope is that the renewable lie will be recognised before it does much more harm.

No Fester, I think I am an incorrigible pessimist.
The global warming preachers/Marxists/Geenists or whatever they maybe,
they have convinced all schoolkids and the multitudes that we are in
imminent risk of having our whole civilisation destroyed by global warming.
How ironic, that is just what it will be !
They are all convinced that our only hope is solar panels, wind turbines
and reluctantly batteries.
All backed up by St Greta.
Frankly, I do not think there is any hope of stopping them.
When the collapse occurs I would not be a green as they will then be
their version victims of Green Hunts, rather than Witch Hunts.

Strangely, I also believe the planet might be warming but only
slightly by co2. The sun has driven this cycle for about three cycles
in 3000 years that we know of.
In reality perhaps for millions of years.

Pity I won't be here to say I told you so !