A recent OLO comment said that nuclear reactor costs did not include decommissioning. Not so the US imposes a levy on nuclear electricity for just that purpose. If after say 50 years a new reactor is built on an adjoining site the dismantling of the old reactor next door has no urgency.

It seems that discussing LCOS the levelised cost of storage is impolite. Elon Musk said his home Powerwalls cost 21c per kWh ($210 per MWh) to run. A recent article in WattClarity had batteries costing over $200 per MWh. Thus a weighted average electricity price for 75% cheap renewables X $50 then 25% battery at $200 is $100 = $50 + $50 per MWh not so cheap after all. Note both the realtime electricity use and battery charging cost the same but we're ignoring inefficiency and transmission losses. Also you can't run an aluminium smelter 24/7 off batteries.

I hope people have good memories because I think the biggest blow to the credibility of CSIRO will come when their favoured 'hydrogen power stations' fail. Tallawarra B gives us a hint. CSIRO also seem to have a blind spot over the $12bn+ for Snowy 2.

"If renewable energy is so good, why is big wind and solar worried about competition from nuclear?" (Nick Cater)

The wind and solar pedlars claim nuclear is a distraction and expensive: that it won’t be needed once renewables are in place. But they reneging on their side of the deal to provide a viable alternative to nuclear energy.

The consistent message from countries with grids already operating on carbon-free energy is that nuclear energy must be part of the mix.

Investors are unwilling to risk their money in renewable energy projects without compensation from the taxpayers.

Of course, there was never any reason - other than an ideological one - to dump cheap, efficient and reliable coal.

The lunatics are certainly running the nuthouse that Australia has become.

WTF?

The author states "Energy costs continue to rise" which is probably true for most consumers.

But, as always, a simple investigation can help identify exactly where the problem lies.

These figures are from the Australian Energy regulator supplied graph so some estimation is involved.

Prices of electricity (using QLD where prices are highest) peaked in the second quarter of 2022 at $350/MWh.

Prices fell to $75/MWh in the 3rd quarter of 2023.

They have since increased to about $137/MWh.

The latest increase is attributed such: "Heat and humidity drove record maximum electricity demand in Queensland."

So the question is asked:

"What happened to the retail price of electricity when the wholesale price fell about 78% from 2022 - 2023?"

"Did retail prices fall by 78% during this time period?"

The ebb and flow of wholesale prices is not reflected in retail prices.

Many consumers seem distracted by arguments about the source of electrical supply and not the profit margins of their electricity supplier.

If we cannot compare apples to durians, we can certainly compare prices to prices.

And the cost to consumers stinks - that will be the durian.

Another good article. The problem is that the electricity supply market has not been designed with the intention of supplying electricity to consumers around the clock. That is why Australia now faces the prospect of rolling blackouts and rising electricity costs.

AEMO needs to introduce 24hour supply contracts to the market. Trying to run the electricity grid on intermittent energy is an unfolding disaster.

Australia will never decarbonise its electricity grid without substantial nuclear generation.