Category: Gillard Government

#Auspol, energy transition, Gillard Government, Greg Hunt, Liberal Party, Policy Watch, Pollie Watch, Regional Development, renewable energy, renewable energy and the energy grid, Renewable Energy Target, Rudd Government, The Coalition, The Greens, Tony Abbott, Wind Farm BenefitsLeave a comment

Policy Watch: Greens launch renewable energy plan to address key policy gap

Leigh Ewbank

Screen Shot 2013-07-14 at 6.32.41 PMAt the weekend, the Australian Greens released the second tranche of its Clean Energy Roadmap. The plan addresses a critical gap in Australia’s energy policy architecture and would help drive the shift to 100 percent renewable energy.

The Clean Energy Roadmap deals with a key shortcoming of the Gillard Government’s carbon price–namely, the lack of support for enabling infrastructure.

Building new transmission lines to renewable energy hotspots does not directly reduce emissions, therefore, such projects do not benefit from the carbon price or offset markets. The critical infrastructure is also beyond the capacity of the private sector due to high capital costs and the lack of short-term profitability. The Greens call for public investment and long-term vision would open up new regions for sustainable development.

Continue reading “Policy Watch: Greens launch renewable energy plan to address key policy gap”

Anti-wind farm campaigning, Coalition, community owned wind farms, community support for windfarms, Friends of the Earth, Gillard Government, Liberal Party, NSW, Pollie Watch, Regional Development, renewable energy, Waubra Foundation, Waubra wind farm, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farm panic1 Comment

Australians Rally 4 Renewables!

Leigh Ewbank

Midday today, at Garema Place in Canberra, Friends of the Earth and Get Up! will present a Rally 4 Renewables. People representing the 73 percent of Australians who support the Renewable Energy Target and 76 percent who support more wind energy will call on the Coalition to end the uncertainty surrounding Australia’s Renewable Energy Target.

The positive, family-friendly rally will feature speakers from across the political spectrum, wind farmers, and people with first-hand experience of wind farms. Continue reading “Australians Rally 4 Renewables!”

Gillard Government, green economy, renewable energy, Renewable Energy Target, Renewable technologiesLeave a comment

Budget defers renewable energy development when it’s needed most

Leigh Ewbank

The Gillard government’s 2013 budget was bad news for Australia’s efforts to address climate change and shift towards renewable energy sources.

In an attempt to minimise the size of the deficit, Treasurer Wayne Swan has taken the axe to range of programs seen as expendable. In yet another display of poor judgement, the Gillard government decided to ‘defer’ $370 million worth of funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The decision will hamper  ARENA efforts to accelerate research, development and deployment of new clean energy technologies.

The Melbourne Energy Institute‘s prolific analyst, Dylan McConnell, made the following assessment of the Labor government’s 2013 budget.

Conco Image

Published by The Conversation. View the original article here.

By Dylan McConnell, research fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Energy Institute.

The decision to link the Australia’s carbon price to the European Union emissions trading scheme has wiped A$6 billion from the federal budget. Treasurer Wayne Swan has dealt with that loss of revenue by reducing industry assistance to deal with the carbon price – a reasonable move – but he has also deferred funding for important renewable energy development. Continue reading “Budget defers renewable energy development when it’s needed most”

climate change, Gillard Government, renewable energy, Renewable Energy Target3 Comments

Pollie Watch: New Energy Minister questioned on climate denial

Leigh Ewbank

Screen shot 2013-03-26 at 11.00.29 AMPrime Minister Julia Gillard appointed Gary Gray as Australia’s new energy minister in the aftermath of the Labor party’s recent leadership drama.

Environmental campaigners and climate/energy journalists were quick to point out public statements Mr Gray had made denying the science of climate change. Yes 2 Renewables was one of the groups that called for Minister Gray to clarify his approach to climate change.

Last night, Lateline host Emma Alberici questioned Minister Gray about his climate denial and the fears of environment groups. Here’s the exchange:  Continue reading “Pollie Watch: New Energy Minister questioned on climate denial”

climate change, Gillard Government, Napthine Government, Pollie Watch, renewable energy, Renewable Energy Target, VC82, Victorian Coalition, wind farm 'no go' zones, wind farms1 Comment

Cabinet reshuffle a missed opportunity to split energy, resources portfolios

Leigh Ewbank

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced Gary Gray as Australia’s new Minister for Resources and Energy, who will oversee the conflicting portfolios of energy and resources under one roof. The Prime Minister has missed the opportunity to split the energy … Continue reading Cabinet reshuffle a missed opportunity to split energy, resources portfolios

Gillard Government, renewable energy, Renewable Energy Target, Solar Flagships program, Solar PV, solar thermalLeave a comment

Pollie Watch: Farewell fossil Ferguson!

Leigh Ewbank

Friday March 22 was a sad day for fossil fools… Australia’s clean-coal loving energy minister, Martin Ferguson, resigned his post. Martin Ferguson’s exit from the energy portfolio is good news for Australians who support renewables. Thanks to Ferguson’s mismanagement of … Continue reading Pollie Watch: Farewell fossil Ferguson!