The former head of Australia’s nuclear research agency has said GenCost reports are “out of date” and “out of touch” with the requirement to provide Australian consumers with reliable electricity. During a recent inquiry hearing on nuclear power, Adrian Paterson, who was the CEO of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) from 2009 to 2020, said GenCost reports did not provide a full picture of electricity generation in Australia. “GenCost is generation cost.
It is the cost at the fence of the facility that is producing the electrons,” he told a parliamentary committee. “It doesn’t take into account the grid extension that we’ve been talking about. It doesn’t take into account the artificial inertia.
It doesn’t take into account any of these factors.” Inertia refers to the grid’s ability to maintain the steady frequency of electricity, which is crucial aspect of an energy network. GenCost reports are the product of the collaboration between Australia’s peak science agency, CSIRO, and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
They provide insights into electricity generation and storage costs in Australia and are often used by government agencies and ministers as reference materials to promote renewable energy policies. According to the latest GenCost report, solar and wind remained the “cheapest” newly built electricity technology. However, the second issue with these reports, according to Paterson, is that it us.
