High temperatures across the country highlight the
complexity the energy industry faces in managing electricity supply
during times of high consumption.
The recent drama began on 10 February. Residents in NSW and the
ACT were asked to switch off appliances between 3:30pm and 6pm to
avoid rolling blackouts. The Energy Minister told people across NSW
to go to the movies or shops to help save power. The electricity
market operator (the AEMO, the body responsible for managing the
electricity market) predicted demand for electricity would be at
its highest in 6 years.
It turned out to be a damp squib. The AEMO was able to add extra
capacity to the system, so there were no power cuts. But the story
in South Australia earlier that week was more worrying. Power was
switched off to a number of residents to protect the network.
Deliberately turning off power to certain areas to reduce demand,
which protects the whole energy network, is called load shedding.
It's
