Snowy Hydro expansion won't be 'magical' solution to power problems, experts say

Engineering experts are less critical than the South Australian Premier but some are warning that the expansion of the hydro-electric scheme won't be a "magical" solution to Australia's power problems. "And so if you build a large underground power station with a pump and a turbine, or several, then you have effectively a giant battery without disturbing the Kosciusko National Park, because the high voltage power lines that you would need, you'd need more of them to go out to the outside world without going across the Snowy Mountains. "I've worked on the Snowy Hydro corporation over many years, and let me say getting anything done in the Snowy is extremely difficult as it involves the three governments that own it," he said. "It is somewhat ironic that climate change and renewable energy sceptics who have said that solar power and wind power can't be used for baseline energy supply, are now embracing this off-the-shelf bulk standard technology in pumped hydro, which enables wind and solar power to supply our basic energy needs," Dr Pittock said.