While the title may have it right, later in the article they state that this is the first electric aircraft... well they've been flying in WA for some time now
This really is just another poor-me major piece of spin that we Aussies have had to cop in the media in the last decade - following on from these other two gems:
1. too much air-conditioning is overloading the grid;
2. the power bills have been high because they've over-spent on the grid (apparently preparing it for future demand);
3. too much solar is stressing the grid...
Looks like the grid is the weakest link. Time to go off grid perhaps?
1. could be loosely verified - mid-day black-outs were a common occurrence on extremely hot days in Sydney, esp. in the noughties. Or was the grid just not up to it? Lucky they over-spent on it.
2. price gouging is still be rampant, the rates are still as high as ever, and solar feed in tariffs are a joke; If we're swimming in free/cheap electricity, where is the lowering of the rate? and why is green energy still much higher for the consumer? Good reasons I'm sure... probably something along the lines of "the grid can't handle it".
3. Given that we're now (apparently) swimming in all this extra grid-damaging power, maybe it was the solar that really stopped the blackouts - after all, the air-con comes on when the sun shines! Just tell everyone to turn on their air-con. That should solve it!
Good luck to anyone trying to get a clear answer on any of it - like it's been noted, too many vested interests in politics and the media. My view: go-off grid as soon as you can.