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The Forum > Article Comments > Fermi, on firming the grid: 'Are you all crazy?' > Comments

Fermi, on firming the grid: 'Are you all crazy?' : Comments

By Tom Biegler, published 4/2/2026

Australia says renewables are cheapest. GenCost data plus AI tell a different story once firming enters the equation.

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Unreliables are more about flopping than firming
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 4 February 2026 8:30:35 AM
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Unreliables are more about flopping than firming.
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 4 February 2026 8:31:13 AM
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WTF?

The author states:" It's fair to say that GenCost is not easily digested."

Yet on the first page of the CSIRO website we get:
"Key points

The report found renewables remain the lowest-cost new-build electricity generation technology, while nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) are the most costly.
Electricity systems rely on a mix of technologies, because no single option can deliver all the capabilities required for a reliable, secure and flexible supply.
Rising construction costs in Australia and supply chain constraints for some technologies remain a challenge for reducing costs".

Probably hard to accept rather than hard to digest.

Later on I read: " According to ChatGPT....."

That won't go down well with the "do your own research " mob as they look to advice from crazies on youtube.
Posted by WTF? - Not Again, Wednesday, 4 February 2026 8:45:59 AM
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To WTF?
The 2025-2026 GenCost report by the CSIRO is deceptive as it deliberately avoids mentioning anything about the costs of renewables that are additional to the actual initial cost of building and operating wind and solar. But the 2024-2025 GenCost report does not try to hide these additional costs (although it doesn't give a $ figure), so look at figure 6-7 and read section 6.3 on pages 79 to 81 of the 2024-2025 report. These pages show that a renewables-based energy system must have back-up generating capacity at least equal to the total peak demand: in other words, spend tens or hundreds of billions on a renewable energy system capable of meeting peak energy demand when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing and then build a fossil fuel energy system of the same peak demand capacity to provide electricity for when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. Here in Australia, we are still many billions of dollars away from completing out transitioning to a renewables-sourced electricity grid, so expect electricity prices to continuing to go up!
Posted by BernieMasters, Wednesday, 4 February 2026 11:33:30 AM
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