Think tank predicts end of fossil fuel in a decade

April 26, 2016 2017-10-25T08:26:24 by 9 Comments
renewables-in-10

No fossil fuels from 2026?

Most supporters of the clean energy revolution have never wavered in their belief that renewables will be the dominant energy source of the future. The only question is how long before we wean ourselves off fossil fuels.

Now a think tank based in the United Kingdom has had a stab at answering this $64 question by predicting that fossil fuels could be phased out almost completely over the next decade.

The Sussex Energy Group, based at the University of Sussex, has said that a co-ordinated effort could see the switch to clean energy brought in much earlier than previously thought. [Read more…]

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What’s Turnbull and Hunt up to on renewable energy financing?

March 29, 2016 2017-10-25T09:24:48 by 2 Comments
hunt and turnbull

Malcom & Greg rip millions from renewables research whilst claiming the opposite. Sigh.

The government’s re-shaping of renewable energy financing during the week has drawn quite a few responses in the media. Some applaud the allocation of $1 billion for renewables, however most of them have accused the PM and the Minister of the Environment Greg Hunt of duplicity and blatant vote-buying in an election year. [Read more…]

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Hunt’s gong, renewable targets and Redflow: a mixed bag

February 15, 2016 2017-10-25T09:26:57 by 7 Comments

It’s been a big week for renewables. A faux minister gets the nod for a fake gong, news that we’ll fail to meet our renewable targets and another Australian battery storage provider pulls on a boot.

News that Australia’s very own alleged Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt was named World’s Best Minister in a glittering ceremony in oil-drenched Dubai was cause for mirth. A real thigh slapper as Greg swanned about, really seeming to believe that despite his steadily dismantling of renewables and apparent efforts to endanger the Australian environment deserved a reward.

However the smiles were soon wiped away by the news that our renewable energy targets won’t be met. According to analysis by Green Energy Markets, the supply of renewable energy will fall short of the requirement for 2018 unless there’s a remarkable turnaround. At least 4,400MW of new renewable energy capacity needs to be committed this year in large-scale projects for the renewable energy target to make its goal of 33,000GWh by 2020, according to the environmental market research company. [Read more…]

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Have we turned the corner on clean energy policy?

October 9, 2015 2017-10-25T09:31:23 by 2 Comments

windmill on a cornerTrying to determine the present government’s stance on renewables is confusing to say the least. Has the Turnbull/Bishop palace coup brought on a complete rethink of clean energy policy? Have we seen the end of the relentless “war on renewables” of the Abbott era? Or is it more of the same?

It’s too early to say for sure of course but there are definite signs that a gradual evolution (rather than revolution) of government clean energy policy is underway. If so, this can only be a good thing for confidence in the renewables sector and Australia in general. [Read more…]

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Australia watches Turnbull Experiment 2.0 on clean energy

September 21, 2015 2017-10-25T09:31:48 by 3 Comments
Will Turnbull 2.0 support clean energy? Photo: flickr.com/photos/veni/

Will Turnbull 2.0 support clean energy? Photo: flickr.com/photos/veni/

So what did you think of the dawn of the Turnbull Experiment 2.0? Is this going to be a new way forward for renewable energy in this country? A move away from the scorched earth policy of the Abbott administration? Or will it be a better-dressed, better-spoken continuation of the Abbott government’s war on renewables? [Read more…]

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Will Turnbull Practice What He Has Preached about Solar?

September 15, 2015 2017-04-19T14:20:51 by 6 Comments
malcolm turnbull and solar panels

Malcolm Turnbull talks the talk but has consistently voted strongly against increasing investment in renewable energy.

The quote above comes from a video of Malcolm Turnbull giving a speech to launch the Beyond Zero Emissions Stationary Energy Plan in Sydney in 2010. The plan was (and still is) a blueprint to affordably go to  100% renewables in Australia within 10 years. [Read more…]

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Will the Solar Council’s campaign in Canning help bring down a prime minister?

September 1, 2015 2017-10-25T09:32:53 by 5 Comments
abbott and solar panels

Will Abbott’s war on solar hurt his party’s prospects in Canning?

The heat is really on in Western Australia with the entry of solar energy in the Canning by election campaign. The seat which was recently vacated following the untimely death of then sitting member Don Randall, has become a focus for those looking for an indication of the electorate’s opinion on the government’s performance.

The previous incumbent was a popular representative and enjoyed a healthy margin in the opinion polls. However this has been whittled away in recent times due to the federal government’s incompetence, intransigence or bad luck, depending on your political point of view. [Read more…]

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Climate Institute poll finds Australians support renewables

August 18, 2015 2017-10-25T09:33:20 by Leave a Comment
wind turbines and solar

Renewables appear to be a vote winner. Someone may want to tell our government.

Banish any questions you may have had about whether or not Australians support renewables. If you listen to certain, unnamed cash-for-comment shock jocks, certainly in NSW anyway, you’d be of the opinion that Aussies generally find solar power and wind farms completely objectionable.

Of course nothing is further from the truth as a poll released by The Climate Institute last week to coincide with the unveiling (dare we say unravelling?) of the government’s emissions reduction target. The poll shows the extent to which Aussies prefer solar and wind energy over that of fossil fuel. [Read more…]

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NZ switches off coal in favour of renewable energy

August 11, 2015 2017-10-25T09:33:33 by 6 Comments
coal lumps

No more coal fired power stations in NZ

News that our neighbour across the ditch is switching off fossil fuels in favour of renewables will have sent a shudder through the corridors of power this week. For New Zealand has announced that it will close its last two coal mines by 2018 and aim towards a 90 percent renewable energy target by 2025.

The New Zealand decision to support renewables has been forced on the Shaky Isles due to the increasing cost competitiveness of renewables such as solar, wind, hydro and geo-thermal and an growing lack of demand for fossil fuel-based energy. [Read more…]

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WA government gives ground on solar energy purchase agreements

July 13, 2015 2017-10-25T09:34:29 by Leave a Comment
Perth skyline

It is now a lot easier for for WA and Perth Solar Installers to sell Power Purchase Agreements (or PPAs)

It’s not often that the Clean Energy Council and a conservative government agree on funding for solar energy purchase agreements but this week appears to have achieved that very scenario. For the West Australian government — that bastion of conservatism west of Adelaide — has introduced a scheme which will make it easier for customers to access solar energy.

The key is the removal of certain restrictions on solar power purchase agreements (PPAs), said Clean Energy Council WA Manager Dermot Costello. He added that the proposed change could help households and businesses make an informed choice about benefit from solar power, according to a CEC press release. [Read more…]

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