Wind, solar and pumped hydro energy storage can provide all the electrical energy we need, on demand, cheaply, quickly, with minimal carbon emissions. This is the message that will cut through the energy confusion. The clean energy debate is hampered by widespread lack of awareness of off-river pumped hydro energy storage. It is the third leg of the clean energy tripod. It uses mature technologies and there are abundant suitable sites.

If we debate nuclear energy, we’re falling into Peter Dutton’s trap. If we debate carbon capture and storage (CCS), we’re falling into the fossil fuel industry’s trap. They are expensive fantasies, easily dismissed. If we debate offsets, we’re falling into Labor’s trap: offsets are obviously unreliable and only distract from the real changes we need to make.

Nuclear, CCS and offsets distract us from the path that will quickly reduce our need for fossil fuels, or for giant, centralised energy generation. We need to dismiss them briefly, then focus on the great opportunity the punters need to know about.

Wind and solar are the cheapest ways to generate electricity. Off-river pumped hydro (ORPH) is the cleanest and cheapest way to store electrical energy. It can store much larger amounts of energy than batteries and thus can regenerate electricity for longer periods. This makes it the cheapest in terms of energy stored.

Together wind, solar and ORPH can smooth over the fluctuations in both demand for and supply of electricity. If we continue to build them we can electrify........

© Pearls and Irritations