Well John, Sth Aussie is going well while ever Victoria has enough to
spare to be able to backup SA on the extension cord.
I suggest you keep an eye on the Dashboard and watch the Vic > SA flow.

Bezza,

Yes, SA uses interconnectors. So does Victoria. So does NSW. That’s how modern grids work - they’re interconnected so states can share supply and smooth out variability. It’s not a flaw - it’s a feature.

SA regularly hits 70%+ renewables, and yes, sometimes imports power. But it also exports surplus wind and solar when production is high. That’s called a grid, not a “gotcha.”

If needing support from neighbours invalidates your energy model, then no state passes. The entire point of a national grid is coordination. SA’s success isn’t that it’s off-grid - it’s that it’s proving high renewable penetration can work within a shared system.

So yes, I’ll keep an eye on the dashboard. But you might want to keep an eye on the broader trend: more renewables, more storage, and less reliance on fossil fuel peakers year by year.

South Australia is leading the way to economic ruin with its renewable energy madness. Without reliable and dispatchable energy Australia is stuffed.

https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/media-releases/south-australias-potential-being-squandered-by-failed-energy-policy

Fester,

You’re citing the IPA like it’s some neutral authority, but let’s not kid ourselves. This is the same group that:

- Argued for decades against action on climate change

- Opposed plain packaging for cigarettes

- Downplayed the health risks of second-hand smoke

- Campaigned against carbon pricing while calling fossil fuel subsidies “market freedom”

And now wants us to believe they’re suddenly worried about electricity bills?

Their job isn’t to get the energy transition right - it’s to delay it.

Now, to the actual claims:

- South Australia runs on over 70% renewables, regularly exports surplus energy, and uses interconnectors the same way every grid-connected region does: to balance supply. That’s a strength, not a failure.

- Denmark’s 79c/kWh stat (which the IPA loves to throw around) includes VAT, levies, and strong carbon pricing. It’s not a fair comparison to Australia’s untaxed retail prices.

- “No baseload” doesn’t mean no power - it means SA is moving away from old, inflexible generation toward a smarter, more dynamic mix of renewables, storage, and interconnectors. That’s not “madness” - it’s adaptation.

And despite all the fearmongering, investment keeps coming. Why? Because industry knows what the IPA won’t admit: renewables are now the cheapest new energy, and energy security isn’t about nostalgia - it’s about flexibility and resilience.

The IPA has been wrong about nearly every major public policy issue for 30 years. If they’re the best your argument has, maybe the problem isn’t renewables - it’s the echo chamber.

John, of course all states use the interconnectors.
But you were making the argument that SA could be self supplying
with wind and solar, if not right now but 100%/100% later.
It never will be, SA can never generate enough money for the batteries needed.

Bezza,

I never said SA would be fully self-supplying or 100% independent with wind and solar alone. That’s not how modern energy systems work.