Commentary With his bid to buy AGL, an Australian energy giant, and transition it to renewables, Mike Cannon-Brookes shows he does not understand the broader operating characteristics of the electricity market. The early retirement of coal fired power stations will drive up the cost to consumers for electricity. This is because of the requirement to invest billions in transmission infrastructure and expensive batteries. This investment would be made over a much longer period if a better managed transition plan to ensure reliability is implemented. The NEM (National Energy Market) still has a mixture of private and public players but there is now a great deal of intermittent energy in the system requiring backup. While much attention is paid to wind, the bigger recent factor has been solar, with its rapid penetration, particularly rooftop solar, and its falling cost. As a result of this development, the system has become increasingly unstable and …