Ever since the South Australia blackout, debate has raged about the role of coal vs renewables in meeting Australia’s future electricity generation needs. The debate was ramped up significantly by the Prime Minister’s recent call for new generation coal to underpin future baseload power. The reaction to this suggestion by energy market experts has been swift – the cost of future coal will not stack up against the alternatives, and it would undermine our commitment to reduce emissions.

However there are two other practical realities that will prevent the Prime Minister’s wish from coming true: the impact of private solar PV on baseload power, and the dwindling global stocks of fossil fuels.