There's no need to figure out all the answers before embarking on the path to sustainable power. Simply bring renewables/storage on line as quickly as possible and progressively retire coal fired generators after the new tech is in place and working.
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Tony
Waiting only works if the thermal generators will hang together long enough Tony - but many are already nearly stuffed. In fact one of the power crises in SA (widely blamed on renewables of course) was due to a major failure in our major (50 year old) gas fired plant.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-0...ffline/8323354. AGL has indicated that the Torrens Island system in SA is in danger of "crapping out".
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-0...tation/8596016
Our old power generators are going to go out of business well before renewable technology is fully matured.
As Gary points out, nuclear doesn't make sense for a whole lot of reasons (just the lead time rules it out for the current Australian crisis). New coal generators are not favoured by power companies or banks, because they will become stranded assets in the fairly near future. A rapid ramping up of investment in renewables plus quick reaction gas looks to me to be the only solution that makes any long term sense at all, despite the current shortcomings of some renewables.