New research from the Climate Council has identified expensive and unreliable gas power as the key cause of recent electricity price spikes in South Australia. The Climate Council recommends large-scale and distributed energy storage to protect South Australian households from … Continue reading Research finds unreliable, expensive gas cause of SA price spikes: Solar-thermal solution needed
New Minister for Energy & Environment Josh Frydenberg has hit the ground running after years of poor policy choices by the Coalition. Yet Minister Frydenberg has his work cut out for him to regain the trust of the community and confidence … Continue reading Can Minister Frydenberg hit the reset button on national renewable energy policy?
A new wind farm was opened in Victoria as the Andrews government prepares to release its Renewable Energy Action Plan, which will set Renewable Energy Targets for the state. Friends of the Earth welcomed the opening of the wind farm, which was … Continue reading New wind farm opens in Victoria thanks to ACT’s Renewable Energy Target
Just a day after the new chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel called for Australia to accelerate the switch from polluting coal to clean renewable energy, it was revealed the Federal government has mounted another attack on renewables. It has allowed … Continue reading Fed attacks on renewable energy underscores need for state leadership
Forget the Prime Minister’s fear-mongering about “death cults”… Tony Abbott is launching a new war… A WAR ON RENEWABLES! The Abbott government is sabotaging Australia’s energy future. Not content with cutting the national Renewable Energy Target by 20 per cent, … Continue reading 8 Best Responses to Abbott’s War on Renewables
350.org have organised a nation-wide Just Transitions speaking tour to take place in February. They are bringing out Bob Massie from the New Economy Coalition in the USA, with the tour being co-sponsored by Earthworker Cooperative. A ‘just transition’ means … Continue reading Just Transitions Speaking Tour with Bob Massie
The Macedon Ranges Sustainable Living Festival is set to return in February 2015. But this time there’s something different. Is it possible that the Macedon Ranges Sustainable Living Festival has been affected by climate change? With 2014 likely to be, … Continue reading Macedon community announces sustainability festival!
It’s not actually dead. But…
Ben Courtice, Yes 2 Renewables volunteer, wrote the following for Green Left Weekly:
With news that the unlikely climate conscience of the Palmer United Party is holding firm, it appears that the Renewable Energy Target and some associated Federal programs will not be abolished yet. But manufactured uncertainty may yet be enough to bring large-scale wind and solar projects to a standstill.
The Abbott government came to power with a promise to kill Australia’s climate policies, and its actions to date show this is one of their priorities. They have achieved their explicit aim – to repeal the carbon price – and are following up with attacks on the other climate and renewable energy programs.
Even if they fail to pass all the required legislation to remove all these, the climate of regulatory uncertainty may be enough to stop investment. If the renewable energy industry isn’t killed, it may end up languishing on life support.
This article was originally posted at Energy Matters. Europe’s first utility scale battery energy storage facility was officially opened on Wednesday. Situated in the Schwerin district of Lankow, the system was constructed by Younicos AG for Wemag AG. Wemag AG … Continue reading 5MW/H Battery Energy Storage Plant Opened
This article was originally posted at Energy Matters. Responding to Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane’s comments last week, the Clean Energy Council has again said the Federal Government should leave the Renewable Energy Target alone. Last week, Minister McFarlane appeared to … Continue reading CEC Repeats : Leave The RET Alone
