Rewired

One of Australia’s oldest and most prolific methods of generating energy is poised to transform the electricity network - again. In this episode of ReWired we take a deep dive into one of the oldest energy storage technologies - pumped hydro. More than a century on from the establishment of the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Department, new hydro projects are being developed as part of work to prepare for a future powered by renewables. In this episode, we hear from Hydro Tasmania CEO Steve Davy about the vision for the island state to become a national powerhouse. Chief Scientist Alan Finkel and AEMO CEO Audrey Zibelman share their insights into how pumped hydro will fit into the future energy mix, and ARENA CEO Darren Miller outlines some of the work underway to help this technology become commercial. How could it work? While the technology that underpins pumped hydro is not new, there are only a few working systems around the country. The two biggest projects in the pipeline - Snowy 2.0 and Tasmania’s Batt