Increasing renewable energy in the State's main electricity grid is the focus of a report released on 22 May 2006 by Energy Minister Francis Logan. Read the Minister's Statement.

The report, 'Maximising the penetration of intermittent generation in the SWIS', resulted from a Government-commissioned independent study into increasing the ability of the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) to accept higher levels of energy from generators who use renewable resources.

The key aspects of the report, produced by Econnect Pty Ltd, are summarised below:

Overview

The Southwest Interconnected System (SWIS) is the power system for the south west of the State which extends from Kalbarri in the north to Albany in the south and east out to Kalgoorlie .  This power system comprises the power plants that generate electricity and the network (wires) that deliver power to consumers within this area.  The great majority of the population of the State lives in this area.

Renewable energy technologies with intermittent output, such as wind turbines, represent one of the most promising renewable energy technologies for the short term in Western Australia.  However their attributes and intermittent output can create power quality, reliability and cost issues for the power systems they must be connected to.  This then limits the degree of penetration of these technologies on conventional power systems. 

The report focuses on identifying impacts and benefits associated with the implementation of strategies that support increased renewable energy penetration subject to power quality and reliability requirements.  Due to its subject matter, the report is more intended for an audience familiar with power system terminology.

The report considers a range of issues that group into three categories:

• System Wide Issues, where intermittent generation affects the performance of the power system as a whole;
• Site Specific Issues, that relate to the local area and do not affect the performance or efficiency of the power system as a whole; and
• Information issues, where the level of available information can enhance the development of renewable energy projects.

Consultation

The report was released for public consultation.  Stakeholders in the electricity and renewable energy industries made submissions, which were provided to Econnect for consideration.

Copies of the submissions received, as well as Econnect's response to the submissions, can be viewed below.

Conclusions

The report concludes that the SWIS has the scope to accommodate significant renewable generation capacity beyond that currently installed and under development providing adequate policy and systems are put in place to avoid the difficulties, uncertainties, disruptions and additional costs of renewable energy development.

Recommendations