Australia’s trilemma of providing good, fast and cheap energy finally has a clear solution | Simon Holmes à Court

We now know that we can have an affordable, reliable and low emissions power system - and it needs a lot less coal and fossil gas

Good, fast, cheap. Pick only two" is a maxim that applies to almost any endeavour. An equally pithy idea dominated energy discussions a few short years ago. The energy trilemma" dictated that affordable, reliable and low emissions power was practically unobtainable.

The release on Thursday of the Integrated System Plan (ISP) by the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) has put paid to the trilemma, at least for Australia, a vast country blessed with an embarrassment of renewable energy resources.