Yep, nice Elon wants to help. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-11/tesla-storage-proposal-for-sa-should-not-be-ignored/8344730

A nice little foot in the door offer to a desperate SA, at cost or Gov't subsidized, and the stupidity of renewables plus storage becomes entrenched, however large its real cost over time.

I reckon Elon wouldn't even mind a small loss leader to get first the tranche of storage accepted then rely on the momentum he creates from that to make the big money later. The enormous cost to South Australians of going renewables plus storage (with any of the storage options currently known) will dawn like the temperature on frogs being gradually brought to the boil.

If it is subsidized, I hope it is not by the rest of us contributing to SA's extravagant experiment through federal money. Reserving gas for the same at non-world parity pricing is effectively a subsidy by the rest of us too, and, renewables plus gas would have little impact on emissions and CAGW even if the whole world was doing it.

Also we have "http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-10/energy-retailers-making-millions-off-solar-feed-in-rates/8342254"

Millions? All I can see in it for retailers is a little reduction in daytime coal consumption while their overheads remain. I don't want to see retailers having to further subsidize households going solar by having to charge the rest of us more to buy excess solar output at a mandated price higher than its value. It's just more subsidy.

I've no problem with pricing emissions to tilt the playing field against coal, as long as ALL options are allowed, without subsidies, including the energy source that dare not speak its name. Greens/SH-Y are all a-gush at Elon's offer and would lead us up a humongously expensive, time-wasting dead-end.

I don't see how storing electricity is a substitute for having a reliable supply. How long do the batteries last? What is the replacement cost? Do they leak when not been drawn on? How much input is needed to keep them topped up? A lot of wind and sun is still needed with the the ridiculous 40% reliance on renewables.

The whole thing sounds like just another monstrous con-trick.

ttbn,
"I don't see how storing electricity is a substitute for having a reliable supply. "
It isn't.
It's a means of producing a reliable supply.

Apologies for my very clumsily expressed OP, which I did on the way out the door. The gist is there however.

As more reports come in I'm now unsure whether the storage supposed to be just for load management to make power failure more gradual than sudden, or the final solution.

Elon could sell refrigerators to Eskimos, so I hope Malcolm keeps a level head on how he spends federal money. A toe in the door is a start for Elon and establishes a beach-head for Greens' madcap plans.

Luciferase, I repeat:
IT'S A MEANS OF PRODUCING A RELIABLE SUPPLY.

If what we were after was merely away to prevent a sudden failure from becoming catastrophic, we'd go with flywheel storage, not batteries.

Luciferase,

A bit off topic, but:

"Eskimo tribes, closer to Siberians than American Eskimos in their appearance, their customs and their distinctive, liquidly sibilant native language. And, yes, they all have refrigerators. In the winter, food gets freezer burn if left out in the elements. Eskimos need refrigerators to keep their food warm."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601144.html