Quote "I would like someone to explain to me why it's not a moronic idea to use power to pump water up a hill, just so it can be allowed to flow down and power a turbine."

In times of drought what will you pump up hill NOTHING.

There is another version which is not prone to this problem, it has train lines going up a hill at a on the tracks are large motor/ generators motor up the hill on excess output of electricity when you need electricity send it down the hill.

Here's something readable by all.....

https://epc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ReliableAffordableElectricPowerGeneration_Booklet.pdf

I think pumping water up hill probably went with Turnbull. It would have worked as well as pushing sh-t up hill with a pointy stick.

I heard a podcast this morning with Alan Jones interviewing the Resources Minister. Canavan assured Jones that the Paris agreement DID NOT 'bind us to anything'. But, when asked that if that were true,why don't they rip the damn thing up, he didn't have an answer, but just said that it can't stop us building coal powered electricity plants. Unfortunately, we have climate hysterics to stop that happening.

A couple of points;
Foxy is right eventually oil, coal & gas will not be available.
In early 20th century ERoEI of coal was 80. Today around 10.
In early 20th century ERoEI of oil was 100. Today around 10.
It will take quite a while before there is no point in getting it out
of the ground. That point is ERoEI around 7.

Hydro pumping is like a battery with about the same 30% losses.
100% renewable seems like fantasy land.
It would cost too much because of multiplication of wind and solar
installation to cover wx variations. On top of that a very high
capacity grid is need to cover Australia 100%.

ttbn,

"I think pumping water up hill probably went with Turnbull. It would have worked as well as pushing sh-t up hill with a pointy stick."

Pumping water uphill is alive and well and is already in use in Australia and has been for years.

"Pumped storage is the largest-capacity form of grid energy storage available, and, as of 2017, the United States Department of Energy Global Energy Storage Database reports that PSH accounts for over 95% of all active tracked storage installations worldwide, with a total installed nameplate capacity of over 184 GW, of which about 25 GW are in the United States.[3] The round-trip energy efficiency of PSH varies between 70%–80%"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity
see also:

"Pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) is a hydroelectric energy storage system that utilises gravitational potential energy of water. In its simplest form, it will involve two reservoirs, one at a higher elevation to the other. During periods where low-cost energy is being generated, usually through wind or solar generation, energy is used to pump water up to the top reservoir. At times, where energy costs are highest, or otherwise when energy is required, water is released back down to the lower reservoir through turbines, thereby generating energy.

ANU engineering professor Andrew Blakers has conducted a study looking into pumped hydro sites and has concluded that there are at least 22,000 suitable locations nationwide

Professor Blakers said if storage was built at just a tiny fraction of those places, Australia could transition to 100 per cent renewable power within two decades.

“No matter where you are in Australia, you will find a good pumped hydro site not very far away from where you, or your wind or your solar farm is located,” he said.".
http://www.energystoragedirect.com.au/renewable-energy/pumped-hydro-energy-storage-future/