We sometimes play ‘buzzword bingo’ on some internal chat channels, and we’re interested to note that there are several buzzwords that start with “B”:

• For some it’s ‘Big Battery’ (as distinct from the LNP’s ‘Big Banana’)
• But an oldie-but-goodie is the ‘Blackout’ word … which has been a trigger word for energy-sector stakeholders for as long as I can remember.

It’s now twice this week that we’ve been treated to that one…

Occasion #1

On Monday morning 1st December we noted that the ‘AFR headline ‘AEMO warns of NSW blackouts if Eraring closes in 2027’ attracts attention’.

1)  That article followed the release of the AEMO’s ‘2025 Transition Plan for System Security’.

2)  With possible implications for the looming closure of Eraring.

3)  With the warnings/cautions by the AEMO also featured elsewhere in ~60 hours since then.

Occasion #2

Not to be outdone, however, the Victorian region and the looming closure of Yallourn, features in the lunchtime article ‘Victoria facing blackouts, power load-shedding: auditor’ published today (Wednesday 3rd December 2025) in the AFR by  Sumeyya Ilanbey and Ryan Cropp:

Presumably this will be in the print edition tomorrow (Thursday 4th December 2025).

Worth reading the article, for those who have access – either way.