Energy trilemma: Can power be cheap, clean and secure?


We want energy to be cheap, reliable and green. Can we have it all? (Image: Brett Ryder)


When it comes to electricity supply, we're caught in a vicious triangle. A bold scheme that pays big business to switch off could be part of the solution


IF YOU have ever played rock-paper-scissors, you'll know the frustration of having no sure winning strategy. Whip out a perfect pair of sharp scissors, and the rock might blunt them. Then again, paper smothers rock, and scissors cut paper. There's no win-win.


So pity those pitting their wits against our energy demands. As consumers, we want energy to be affordable. As a society, we want our supplies to be secure and reliable. And as responsible global citizens, we want power to be clean, green and low-carbon, too. But these demands trump each other in different ways. "It's called the energy trilemma, because you ...


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