Tasmanian power crisis reveals urgent need for more renewable energy

With Tasmania's hydropower plants idle due to low rainfall, and a faulty cable connecting the state to the mainland grid, it's clear a better long-term solution is needed

The timing couldn't have been any worse. On 20 December 2015, the undersea cable connecting Tasmania with mainland Australia malfunctioned, leaving the island state's energy infrastructure stranded without help - just when it was needed most.

The bulk of Tasmania's internal energy capacity comes from its extensive hydroelectric network but, with 2015 delivering the driest spring on record, water levels in the state's dams were catastrophically low. More than ever, the Apple Isle was counting on electricity imported via the Basslink cable so that the hydroelectric dams could be given time to replenish.