THE catastrophic lack of wind and solar power in Europe during their very cold winter has apparently had no impact on our government.
They have shown no concern over the proposed early closure of the Eraring coal-fired power station (New South Wales).
Wind and solar power are useful minor inputs to our power grid but only wind makes any contribution at night.
Obviously this makes renewable power inadequate to service a modern economy.
Many industries and businesses are working 24 hours a day, or part of each night. Factories, airlines, warehouses, railways, ports, shops, cleaners and maintenance crews, entertainment and sport.
Where will the power to support these activities come from? Has the government thought about this? Do they have a plan?
It is obvious that batteries could not sustain these functions. As Angus Taylor said: The idea is delusional.
Aside from daily power needs, there is a much bigger problem.
Renewable power is not capable of making glass, iron, aluminium or steel – the basic elements of modern society and industry.
There must be no closing down of our coal power until an alternative power source has proven capability to do the job.
We are sleepwalking towards a power crisis, but our deluded experts in Canberra still repudiate the basic science that carbon dioxide is a benign plant food, that causes no harm or warming and gives us oxygen.
Philip Potter,
Mt Warren Park.
