Finding a way to generate affordable clean energy should start now
OUR standard of living depends largely on the price of the energy here, that we require in order to maintain or improve it.
At a time of rising prices, when our government is desperate to raise funds, when there is little growth to provide this, now and not in 12 years or so is the time to get on with finding the most timely, realistic, practical and cost-effective method to generate affordable clean energy, primarily for local use, to begin with.
Utilising local islets or higher rock formations, as near to the power station as practical, should be checked out for viability as a mill base, as well as the costs and the potential opposition involved. Also the costs of storage batteries or the conversion gear required to turn any surplus electricity into hydrogen and oxygen.
The fact that wind-generated electricity can now be created cheaper and cleaner as that by fuel, and the cost of replacing the existing dated generating equipment needs to be included, for getting on with this now.
As the States appear to lack the funds to pay for major overdue infrastructures, private funding likely to provide worthwhile returns also needs to be looked for, without kicking this expensive project further away into the long grass.
MARK HESSE