Description
Power outages during storms are increasing. Learn why networks fail, how mobile towers lose power, and what real network resilience would look like.
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Introduction
Every time a storm hits, thousands of Australians lose power and many, like those in Southeast Queensland, are left without electricity for 10, 20, 25 hours or more. It is not an isolated problem. Power outages during storms now affect millions across Australia.
A growing number of people also lose mobile reception within hours of the blackout, leaving families cut off from help. This raises an obvious question:
Why is a modern nation losing essential services every time the weather turns violent?
People want answers, not excuses. They want a storm-proof electricity grid that matches the climate reality we now face.
Stat Box
• Extreme weather outages in Australia have increased 22 per cent in the past decade. (Australian Energy Council)
• Queensland records some of the country’s highest storm-related distribution failures.
• Mobile tower batteries average 3 to 8 hours of backup time.
The Problem
Root Causes
Australia relies heavily on overhead power lines, especially in state- or privately-owned distribution networks. These lines are vulnerable to wind, trees, lightning and flood damage.
Underground networks exist, but only in limited areas. Countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and parts of Switzerland bury most of their low and medium-voltage networks, drastically reducing failures.
Australia’s vast distances, regulatory settings and fragmented ownership model across states have delayed this transition.
Consequences
When a key transmission or distribution corridor fails, the outage cascades across a wide region. Entire suburbs, towns and sometimes hundreds of thousands of homes lose power at once.
Standalone microgrids could isolate failures, but Australia has not widely adopted this approach outside remote communities.
The Impact
Everyday Disruption
Blackouts stop refrigeration, medical devices, air conditioning, heating, and food preparation.
When mobile towers run out of their limited battery supply after several hours, communications fail, too.
This leaves communities isolated at the very time they need information most.
Who Benefits from The Current Model
Regulators prioritise keeping consumer prices low rather than building top-tier network resilience.
Private operators must justify every infrastructure upgrade through cost-benefit tests.
State-owned networks are under pressure to keep spending restrained.
The result is a grid built for calm weather, while the climate becomes more dangerous.
The Solution
Monetary Sovereignty
States do not have currency sovereignty, but the federal government does.
A storm-proof electricity grid requires federal funding for:
• Undergrounding in high-risk zones.
• Microgrids to reduce outage size.
• More robust transmission pathways.
• Vegetation management and climate adaptation upgrades.
• Mandatory long-duration backup at mobile towers.
Federal investment removes the pressure on state budgets and ensures national standards.
Policy Solutions
- Create a National Network Resilience Program funded by federal public money.
- Prioritise undergrounding in populated, storm-exposed regions.
- Require microgrid capability for new developments.
- Mandate 24-hour backup power for mobile towers.
- Modernise regulatory rules so reliability and resilience are valued equally with price.
FAQs
What causes power outages during storms?
Wind, lightning, falling trees and flooding damage overhead lines, substations and transformers.
Why do mobile towers go down, too?
Most towers have only 3 to 8 hours of battery backup. Once that runs out, the tower shuts down unless a generator is on-site.
Would undergrounding stop most storm outages?
No system is perfect, but countries with extensive undergrounding experience have vastly fewer storm-related failures.
Final Thoughts
Australia can no longer treat power outages during storms as an unavoidable inconvenience. A modern, storm-proof electricity grid is achievable and affordable when the federal government uses its monetary capacity to strengthen national infrastructure.
What’s Your Experience
How long was your most prolonged blackout, and did your mobile service fail too?
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Explore more
Find more writing on political reform and Australia’s dollar sovereignty at Social Justice Australia.
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