The climate wars are finally over. Not with a bang, but a whimper. The Coalition is now moonwalking towards installing some of the basic climate and energy policy architecture they mostly railed against for the past decade. Resistance is finally giving way to quiet acceptance. The trick is to make it look like they always …
The ACT Government has been boasting for years about its renewables credentials, describing itself as “a nation-leader” in renewable energy, and by others as the first major jurisdiction in the world to move to 100 per cent renewable energy. The ACT legislated a net 100 per cent renewable energy target in 2016, committing to purchase …
Rooftop solar has been the runaway consumer success story of the decarbonising electricity market. More than 2.6 million households have stuck solar panels on their rooftops, with a combined capacity of more than 13,000 megawatts smeared across suburban Australia. The rampant popularity of rooftop solar has also created major technical and equity problems. Solar PV …
Rumours are rife that Australia’s largest electricity company AGL is about to break up with itself. Next Tuesday AGL CEO Brett Redman is expected to announce a green re-invention of the company, selling off or de-merging some of its highest emissions coal generators to re-focus the company on the rapid decarbonisation anticipated over the next …
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is clearly excited about hydrogen. The Fortescue Metals Chair has been splashing his hydrogen ambitions across the Australian media for most of 2021, re-packaging his plans to build the worlds biggest green steel supplier and the worlds biggest renewables and hydrogen based electricity utility. The numbers being thrown by Forrest are staggering: …
The impending closure of the Yallourn power station poses a major reliability problem for Victoria. After Hazelwood in 2017, it will be the second of the state’s four giant brown coal generators to close. That’s the withdrawal of more than 3000 megawatts of dispatchable generation, and the emissions that go with them. Victorian Energy Minister …
A scrum of companies and consortia have promised to build nearly 10GW of new battery storage in Australia. It’s a staggering number: more than 30 times the size of the current operational fleet. But there’s a catch. To date no one is making good on their promises unless they have secured a big chunk of …
Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely considered the future of the car industry. Major car companies are adding new and increasingly glamorous EV designs to their list of new models. Despite a price premium on new EVs, their share of new car sales continue to increase, albeit from a low base. EVs global share of new …
Texas is currently in the grid of a severe and lethal cold snap which has killed at least 21 people and crippled its electricity supply for more than two days. Shortages of up to 25GW of electricity have resulted in rolling blackouts amidst freezing sub-zero temperatures in a state known for its mild to warm …
