Lithium Valley Main Report 2018
Developing a robust local market for the New Energy metals and battery can provide a cornerstone for the industry and therefore the prioritisation of renewable energies fits within this strategy and should be encouraged by fast tracked interconnection. 8.3 New Energy sector in WA The New Energy sector is transformative in that some simple innovations are driving a hugely disruptive change in WA’s industrial base. WA is ideally geographically positioned with the right minerals, logistics and capability to benefit with the appropriate engagement. The New Energy sector is characterised by: ● ● Elimination of State utility monopolies; ● ● Energy trading between users; and ● ● The net functional cost reductions of all of these. The opportunities for WA include: ● ● Fabrication sector – electric motors or expansion into designing, constructing and supplying electric vehicles; ● ● Marine sector – continued development of shipbuilding as well as potentially improving on Norway’s example of designing and building electrically powered vessels; ● ● Renewable energy sector – construct and deploy charging systems, edge-of-grid systems, behind-the-meter storage, utility stabilisation systems; ● ● Construction and real estate – Reduce build costs and take direct ownership of utilities by a citizen utilities; 70 ● ● Technologists and economists – design, build and deploy energy trading systems that dynamically optimise price, source and use of electricity. ● ● Decentralised energy generation; ● ● Electrification of transportation; ● ● Ready storage and portability of electrical energy; Some of these opportunities are already being developed – an energy trading system created in Perth using blockchain software; edge of grid system designed and built in Bibra Lake; electric ferry built in Perth; smart charging systems designed and built in Queensland. What all of these have in common is that they are importing all key components of their systems, most of which are originally dependent upon WA’s own mineral resources.
70 Green, J and Newman, P (2017), "Citizen utilities: The emerging power paradigm", Energy Policy, August 2017, Volume 107, p283-293.
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