Here you go then, SA has the highest renewable share in the NEM and the highest regulated household price. That is the local test of the “cheapest by far” claim, and it fails.
New solar and wind generation is cheap on a simple LCOE. A reliable high-renewable system is not. Once you add gas firming, batteries, and the new transmission the grid needs because the plants are far from cities, the “cheapest replacement” line falls apart. CSIRO’s own system-level numbers are far closer than the headline LCOE charts used in these arguments. Victoria, with more coal and hydro still in the mix, has the lowest reference bills. SA does not.
The same pattern holds elsewhere. Germany, Denmark and Ireland built out wind and solar earliest and sit near the top of household electricity prices in Europe. Cheap midday power does not produce cheap evening and winter bills.
Transmission is the part usually left out. Official ISP figures are already in the tens of billions; independent estimates for the east-coast build run $65–85 billion this decade, with projects like EnergyConnect already blowing their original budgets. Network charges are a large slice of the bill now. They will be larger.
Wind and solar also have to be replaced. Turbines are falling apart after as little as 8 years!! The fuel is free. The machines are not. Calling that “renewable” while treating 40-year-old coal as uniquely clapped-out is selective.
Privatisation changed incentives. It does not explain why the state that went furthest down the renewables path still pays the most.
@craigkellyAFEE Where are the greens? Where are the students? Serious animal rights abuse, absolutely worthy of protesting, and they are no where to be seen?!