100% renewable energy powered state

Have you thought of the electricity of a state can be 100% powered by renewable energy? Perhaps you may think that it is feasible, but it is not possible by using the technology not. However, the fact is - Tasmania achieved this great result, at least temporarily, in May 2016.

The state-owned energy provider, Hydro Tasmania, reported in early May 2016 that their fossil fuel generators had not been used since 1 May. Instead, they relied on hydro, wind and solar energy.  In particular, their hydro generators were running at maximum capacity and contributed over 80% of the total power in the state, due to significant rainfalls over the weeks before. As a result, the wholesale prices had fallen below to mid $40s/MWh, which compared to nearly $300/MWh when it was forced to rely on gas and diesel.

It is an encouraging news because Tasmania demonstrated the feasibility and practicality of renewable energy, especially the use of hydropower. However, there are two sides to every coin, the use of hydro-power may cause other problems too.

The extraordinarily large dams and reservoirs usually have a significant impact on the land use of surroundings. The flooding destroys forests, habitats of wildlife animals, agricultural land, and even historically scenic places. Not only the flooded area is affected, Impact could be seen on the environment of the downstream, as the reservoir is basically a pool of stagnant water, which changes some key factors which affect the habitats of downstream, such as the nutrient level, oxygen level, sediment level, and flow rate.

Finally, although it can be seen that hydropower is possibly the most economic renewable energy, blindly using hydropower may not be a remarkably better approach than using fossil fuel. Yet, I hope that the government of NSW can put more effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, like what other state, such as Tasmania and South Australia, are doing.

References:

Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Power. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2016, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-hydroelectric-power.html

Nag, S. K. (2016, May 25). South Australia tops the list for renewable energy. Retrieved June 1, 2016, from https://mozo.com.au/energy/articles/south-australia-tops-the-list-for-renewable-energy

Parkinson, G. (2016, May 11). Tasmania back to 100% renewable electricity as dams replenish. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/tasmania-back-to-100-renewable-electricity-as-dams-replenish-55955

Tasmania powered by renewable energy for 'first time in months' (2016, May 11). Retrieved May 23, 2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-12/tasmania-completely-powered-by-renewable-energy/7408148