The air is blowing hard and hot in the offshore wind debate

The air is blowing hot with commentary from would-be born-again environmentalists like Donald Trump and Peter Dutton about the supposed (as distinct from apparent) risk to the environment from the offshore wind power generation industry.

Traditional power generation occurs, generally, by means of a source of energy driving a turbine, which spins.

Why coal has been important

In so doing it generates electricity that can then be harnessed and used for whatever other purpose we like.

This is what fossil fuels provide. Be it coal or gas, the fuel is burned to generate heat, which drives a turbine that generates electricity.

In Australia, it’s mainly coal which does most of that work, providing a steady and relatively reliable source of electricity which can slowly be ramped up or down – subject to the energy needs that the market demands.

In this way, coal generation provides power to meet the minimum, or “base load”, demands for the entire country.

And that has been the “beauty” of coal. It has always been there to meet the needs of the market consistently and dependably.