CANBERRA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government will on Friday hold an urgent meeting with state leaders about the dangers posed by statewide blackouts, the nation's Energy Minister said on Thursday.
Following the power outages which crippled South Australia and left 90 percent of the state's homes without power last week, state leaders will be warned that an over-reliance on renewable energies could make their electricity networks more vulnerable to widespread power failures.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said state leaders would be briefed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) following a review of the blackouts.
"Events in South Australia do show an urgent need to look at the reliability and stability of the energy system," Frydenberg told News Corp on Thursday.
"The risk of statewide blackouts in other states will be part of the questions ministers will ask of AEMO."
The Energy Minister said the inconsistent nature of renewable energies - such as relying on wind or solar power - meant power grids were unable to cope at times of high stress, and that other forms of energy, such as coal, were needed to keep a consistent output.
"It's undeniable that the growing use of intermittent power has an impact on the system, leaving the states more vulnerable to power outages," Frydenberg said.
"It must also be said that wind and solar don't generate a consistent quality of power like hydro, coal and gas, which are able to help the grid cope with sudden shocks."
The government's announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said South Australia's Premier Jay Weatherill failed to "keep the lights on" and that he "has to answer for that."
Millions of residents in South Australia - including in the state's capital Adelaide - were left without power on Wednesday evening, while select rural areas only had power restored over the weekend.
