EDITORIAL: How will Sydney cope when summer really hits?

It’s panic stations in Sydney.

The hottest November day in four years.

Trains ran 10km/h slower in the west and south-west parts of the network in a bid to conserve energy.

Pleas from politicians for Sydneysiders not to turn their washing machines on between 3pm and 8pm.

Same goes for dishwashers and pool filters.

And if you wouldn’t mind, turn the air conditioning up a few degrees warmer and keep the house cool by closing your windows and drawing the blinds instead.

Otherwise, the surge in demand for power risked overloading the beleaguered grid and causing widespread blackouts just when we needed power the most.

The situation was so dire that the Australian Energy Market Operator moved to use its emergency powers, issuing a notice to the industry to ensure stable supply and negotiating with companies to reduce demand

Just how hot was this apocalyptic heatwave going to get?

A top of 34C.

Warm, sure. And temperatures were higher in the city’s western suburbs, reaching an uncomfortable 39C.

Still, it was hardly a proper scorcher.

How on earth is Sydney going to cope when summer truly sets in?

In January 2020, temperatures in Penrith hit a record 48.9C. If 34C has the potential to send the network into meltdown, what’s going to happen if we see temperatures like that again?

There’s a good chance we’re going to find out. BOM’s long range forecast already has an increased chance of “unusually warm” weather for most of Australia this summer.

Wednesday’s crisis showed the immense vulnerability of NSW’s energy grid.

As temperatures climbed, and demand for power with it, four units at the State’s coal-fired power stations were idle — two as a result of planned maintenance and two unscheduled outages.

Solar could fill the void — until 3pm. After that point, it was lights out, please.

Citizens of a developed, rich nation like Australia should expect to be able to run the dishwasher at 7pm without fear of triggering a blackout.

That they can’t is the result of the failure by successive NSW governments to properly plan for the energy transition. And NSW isn’t alone in this failure. Other States will likely face similar situations as summer sets in.

We know that we need to derive more of our power from renewable sources.

But its also one of the fundamental responsibilities of governments to literally keep the lights on.

Too much focus on renewables too soon, without proper thought as to how to maintain supply when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing has resulted in an energy network that is constantly on the precipice, with a 34C day apparently enough to send it over the edge.

Reliable energy supply is key to maintaining living standards and keeping the economy ticking over. We can’t allow a relentless, ideological focus on renewables to leave us in the dark.