A small town known as the ‘renewable energy powerhouse’ of NSW has had to resort to diesel generators to maintain power due to persistent blackouts.
Crookwell, situated in the Southern Tablelands, has been experiencing power outages for more than a decade with residents left at their wits end.
Even though Crookwell hosts more than 50 wind turbines and ranks among one of the top for renewable energy sources in NSW, it faces significant electricity issues.
Essential Energy revealed the cause of the blackouts can be narrowed down to the fact there is only one power line connecting to the town.
When the main power line is compromised, residents are left without electricity until repairs are finished. On one occasion, the community endured a 13-hour blackout.
This has prompted questions about why a town of over 2,000 people continues to experience outages despite being surrounded by numerous wind turbines.
‘Crookwell is supplied by a single, 66kV powerline running approximately 42km from Goulburn,’ an Essential Energy spokesman told Daily Mail.
‘This means there is currently no alternative route to redirect power if that line is damaged or needs maintenance.
Diesel generators are being installed in the ‘renewable energy powerhouse’ of NSW following blackouts, despite being surrounded by wind turbines
Crookwell is surrounded by hills (pictured) with many topped with dozens of wind turbines
This means that any damage or required maintenance on the line can result in prolonged blackouts, and it may take more time to restore power compared to other network areas.
Severe weather, natural disasters, and various other factors can still interfere with power delivery to homes and businesses, no matter how the electricity is produced.
‘The power outages in the Crookwell region have been the result of such events.’
The situation in Crookwell deteriorated to the point Essential Energy had to bring in generators ‘to keep the lights on’.
The company officially announced the installation on Wednesday, and promised the generators would help maintain a reliable supply of power to the town.
‘This generator would only be used in fault or emergency situations, with the district being supplied via the existing grid for the overwhelming majority of any given year,’ the Essential Energy spokesman said.
However, community leaders have a hard time overlooking the irony of being surrounded by wind turbines and unable to access the electricity they generate.
Crookwell mayor Paul Culhane said in a statement to 2GB that ‘diesel is the solution for now and people are happy that something’s finally being done’.
Crookwell’s power is supplied by a single powerline, which causes blackouts when damaged by storms or other events
During a State of Origin match on June 18, the town completely lost power.
Residents at pubs and in their homes were forced to abandon their footy festivities until lights came back on at 1am.
Locals were left without power for as long as 13 hours during a particularly bad incident in 2010.
Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman told Daily Mail the blackouts had made life extremely difficult for locals.
‘Residents are deeply frustrated by ongoing power outages, with the most recent occurring during the State of Origin final.
‘These outages disrupt every aspect of modern life, from the pizza ovens at the local takeaway to heating in the middle of winter and even critical medical equipment relied on by older residents.
‘Compounding these frustrations is the mounting pressure across the Upper Lachlan Shire, where wind turbine projects and new transmission lines are increasingly encroaching on locals homes.’
For a long-term solution, Essential Energy plans to improve its battery storage to include a solar-battery hybrid microgrid, which is being trialled in other areas.
For a long-term solution, Essential Energy plans to improve its battery storage to include a solar-battery hybrid microgrid, which is being trialled in other areas
The energy provider explained the town’s existing electricity grid can’t be directly connected to the turbines due to voltage differences.
The network connected to the wind turbines, the transmission network, runs at a much higher voltage to substations, where the electricity voltage is lowered for residential and commercial use on the distribution network.
‘While Crookwell is surrounded by wind turbines, these are connected to the 330kV high-voltage transmission network and can’t directly power the local area if there is a fault on the local distribution network,’ an Essential Energy spokesman said.
‘The reliability issues in Crookwell are unrelated to the presence of wind generation in the region.’
The power line connecting Crookwell to Goulburn, which is susceptible to damage, was part of the original distribution grid.
In an ideal world, the power supplier could create additional backup lines to the town.
However, the reality is upgrades would likely be lengthy, difficult and much more expensive than seeking alternative power options – like a diesel generator.
The generator is expected to be installed in the next 15 to 18 months.
