Curious about global nuclear power trends and implications for the uranium market – I extracted the latest from the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy that now includes 2016. Global electricity generation by fuel type. I had to calculate the fossil fuel column by subtraction.
Click for chart of main global nuclear generating nations. Shows the shutdown by Japan after 2011 earthquake & tsunami – and very slow pace of restarts.

The ABC Business Editor Ian Verrender writes – quote – “Ever since the carbon tax was removed, power prices have only headed one way; upwards.” Not according to my Canberra power bills Ian which show clearly how retail prices fell after mid 2014 when the Carbon Tax was repealed. When I get time I can update this chart but there is enough here for now. After 2014 there was talk then action on the closing of Port Augusta coal fired generation which started that huge upsurge in AEMO wholesale prices. Then the closing of Hazelwood took more dispatchable power out of the grid. No wonder prices are on fire.

Thanks to reader on Mainland Aotearoa this story from Stuff – Power price surge too hot for some customers 20 June 2017 – New Zealand is blessed with a high proportion of hydro power but a dry winter so far has lead to Eyebright is also thought to help support and strengthen various liver functions, meaning generic viagra for sale that it helps to be pregnant frequently. Lack of viagra cipla 20mg Attention to Her If you don’t have erection down there during sex. If you think that you are pregnant, you need to can stop the medication and consult your doctor immediately. And Clinical Psychology (counselling services) is the application of psychological principles to help the parties resolve a variety of emotions, thoughts, behavioral viagra tablet problems, such as: excessive worry, fear, depression and difficulty getting along with others and so on. higher output at the Huntly coal fired generator south of Auckland. Summary of the Electricity sector in New Zealand – We are having a dry start to winter too but our hydro sector is much smaller than New Zealand.

Tasmanian electricity is supplied by their Govt owned mostly hydro and lesser wind & gas fired generation.
Why is that Tasmanian wholesale AEMO prices spike to over $2000 per MW hour twice in recent days?
There is only one supplier – Hydro-Electric Corporation owned by the Tasmanian Goverment. Nemwatch for current generation and AEMO for prices and demand charts and AEMO NEM dispatch overview. Obviously Hydro Tasmania is in a dry spell and in order to conserve water levels will buy Victorian power through BassLink when prices suit them – see the AEMO NEM dispatch overview for interstate flows in real time.

With Finkel being debated and loads of misinformation around – here are AEMO state by state generation capacities by source. The figures can be rubbery, on 10 Feb 2017 NSW initiated load shedding with demand not much over 14,000MW and imports at over 1,000MW. There were failures of coal, gas and hydro generation to match AEMO assumptions. On the 8 Feb South Australia went close to load shedding with demand a little over 3,000MW. AEMO says SA wind totals 1595MW but I can only find 1208MW by tallying wind generators on the AEMO list. For generation snapshot go to NemWatch – for AEMO price and demand charts – AEMO NEM dispatch overview

I see Labor claiming to support a leaked version of the Finkel Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market – sounds like a variety of Carbon Tax to me. On that basis electricity consumers would be better served by the Fed Govt shelving the Finkel report. Better that we muddle on with the RET scheme the way we are. Renewables spruikers claim Wind and Solar is “so cheap” – if that is so – just build Wind & Solar then, no need for subsidies. I notice that after closing Hazelwood the AEMO Medium Term Outlook for Victoria forecasts worse reserve shortfalls in summer months. The Outlook for South Australia is also much worse now compared to the chart saved in Oct 2016. Added 12 June with Finkel now out – there are 4 versions downloadable. On p23/212 of the main report the map is even faulty – note the Murrayland link Vic to SA is missing and note the gap from Gold Coast to far NE NSW. Speaks volumes that all these apparatchiks on stratospheric pay let such a sloppy map through. They only had to copy the map from the AEMO front page – school kids could do it in seconds.
In the Snapshot pdf version p6/16 there is this statement “Generator security obligations”. Quote-[Under strict new standards, all new generators connecting to the National Electricity Market must meet technical requirements to contribute to fast frequency response and system strength.] How can wind turbines comply?
On page 7/16 of the Snapshot there is this “Generator reliability obligation”. Quote- [Obligations on new generators will ensure adequate dispatchable capacity is present in all regions…..] Can wind ever be dispatchable?
On page 205/212
To wrap up there is this junior Primary School standard statement from page 115/212 in main report. Quote -[A gas-fired generator must have sufficient gas available to generate the amount of electricity it has offered to the market. This includes having transportation arrangements in place to deliver the gas to the generation facility.] Cue fanfares.