There are 3 electricity essentials – that the power source and its delivery to homes and businesses be: 1) reliable; 2) secure; and 3) affordable. Which means that wind power – a wholly weather dependent power source, that can’t be stored and costs 3-4 times the cost of conventional power – scores NIL on all three counts.

With the wind power calamity unfolding in South Australia, even mainstream media hacks are starting to take an interest in electricity generation which – before South Australia’s recent experience of statewide blackouts, routine load shedding and skyrocketing power prices – was something that the last few generations of Australians have taken for granted.

In an effort to educate, STT has attempted, once or twice, to lay out the electricity generation basics in clear and simple terms – that even journalists might understand.

In this post we’ll start with a primer from the…