The state, which relies on wind for about a third of its power capacity, has become vulnerable to outages and soaring prices as it doesn’t have enough back-up power when the wind isn’t blowing.
South Australia’s last coal-fired power station shut down last May, as it was making losses, and one of two units at a gas-fired power plant has been mothballed as its owner, France’s Engie, has struggled to secure affordable gas.
“Today, SA takes hold of its energy future. We have a national electricity market which is failing not only SA but failing the nation,” South Australia’s Premier Jay Weatherill said in a statement.
Asked about the proposal for new battery technology, Weatherill said he was speaking to a range of providers.
