The Energy Transition Challenge Is Huge and Daunting
Renewable energy targets aren’t being met, for various reasons, including bureaucratic delays, and transmission infrastructure constraints.
Coal is being phased out and gas supply is failing, through Federal and State Governments’ policies, surreptitious actions, or simply inaction.
How do we overcome the challenges and meet the energy and environmental needs of Australians?
Geothermal is an integral part of the solution.
Geothermal energy’s many compelling features include:
Available 24/7/365 - no need for large, costly, low energy density, electrochemical batteries.
Simplicity - all its technology is proven and currently available. Nothing new to invent.
Invulnerable - not dependent on rare/’strategic’ minerals, metals or other scarce materials, and their processing.
Unencumbered - not dependent on parts only manufactured in other countries.
Versatile –can provide fast, flexible, dispatchable, and baseload, electricity.
Completely Aligned – with society’s strong desire for change to reliable, accessible, affordable, carbon-free energy.
Pollution Free - no CO2, and no detrimental ‘residual’/’end-of-life’ bi-products (e.g., solar panels, wind turbines, depleted electrochemical batteries, depleted uranium).
Secure – no fuel security issues like uranium has.
Society is being told coal and gas need be replaced but intermittent solar and wind can’t reliably meet current electricity demand let alone forecast future huge demand growth.
The ability for electricity generation, especially for peak periods (when solar and wind are not always available) is under threat because of substantial gas supply constraints. AEMO and the ACCC both predict gas supply will fail to satisfy seasonal peak electricity, and industry, demand.
Arguments rage about how to manage the energy transition. Is gas the ‘low carbon’ transition fuel? Should nuclear be part of the energy mix? Will electrochemical batteries provide the ‘backup’ electricity needed
Reliable forecasts indicate increasing energy (i.e. electricity) demand growth, in Australia and globally. The rapid and growing electronic and IT driven developments in industry and community life (e.g., EVs, AI, Cryptocurrency, data centres, etc) mean the challenge is MUCH greater than just replacing carbon-based energy sources (coal, gas, oil) , and;
The energy transition is showing up major supply chain, mineral resources, manufacturing, and financial challenges as well as governmental and bureaucratic deficiencies (in policy, approval processes and oversight).