'Innovation is in our blood': how South Australia leads the way on renewables | Kathy Marks

South Australia is expected to generate more than half its electricity from wind and solar power this year. Who says you can't run a modern economy on renewables?

The sunbaked streets of Snowtown were deserted when I drove up from Adelaide in late 2000, 18 months after the dismembered remains of eight people were found in barrels of acid in a disused bank vault. The gruesome discovery brought the glare of publicity to the little country town in South Australia's mid north, and - although no one from Snowtown was among the murderers or victims - the unwelcome attention persisted for years, as the protracted trials were followed by a film and four books.

Talk to any local, though, and they will tell you that even before those tragic events, the place, like many rural communities, was in decline. And they will also tell you that Snowtown, if not exactly booming, is nowadays much rejuvenated, in large part due to the gales that howl across the nearby Barunga and Hummock Ranges.