CANBERRA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has launched legal action against wind farm operators over the 2016 statewide blackout in South Australia (SA).
Paula Conboy, chair of the AER, said on Wednesday that it will take Tilt Renewables, Pacific Hydro, AGL and Neoen to the Federal Court, alleging that they breached National Electricity Rules.
"The AER has brought these proceedings to send a strong signal to all energy businesses about the importance of compliance with performance standards to promote system security and reliability," she said.
More than 850,000 homes in SA were left without power on Sept. 28, 2016 when extreme weather caused major damage to electricity infrastructure.
According to the AER, a subsequent loss of wind-generated power then triggered the blackout.
Angus Taylor, minister for energy, threw his support behind the legal action, saying the regulator was doing its job by enforcing energy rules.
"850,000 South Australians were in darkness as a result of that event ... part of the reason it happened, we know, is the wind farms were not generating as they should have," he said on South Australian radio.
"People are going to bring wind and solar farms into the system, that's fine, but they have to be properly integrated."
"They have to be backed up so that when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, we have the power we need to keep the lights on, to keep the wheels of industry turning. And they have to perform," said Taylor.
