Strong support for 100 per cent SA renewables target: poll

A new poll shows that almost 70 per cent of South Australian voters back a 100 per cent clean energy target by 2030.

A Tesla car charging station near the
"big battery" plant outside of Jamestown.

The targeted survey, conducted by the Australia Institute, asked people if they would support or oppose a renewable energy target of 100 per cent by 2030, given the state energy minister has said South Australia is on target to reach the previous government’s renewable target of 75 per cent by 2025.

Noah Schultz-Byard, the Australia Institute’s SA projects manager, said while renewable energy is popular in South Australia, he was surprised by the degree of support for the policy idea.

Read the story from Adelaide’s InDaily by Jessica Bassano - “Strong support for 100 per cent SA renewables target: poll.”

Climate action in 2018: expect same, but different

As I predicted a year ago, 2017 was another vicious and bloody-minded year in Australian climate politics. Yet the political bickering belied the fact that it was actually a great year for green energy.

Illustration by Andrew Dyson.

Nowhere was that more in evidence than in South Australia, which got its big battery inside a 100-day deadline, with the world’s biggest solar thermal plant set to begin construction this year. Elsewhere, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talked up the prospects of the Snowy 2.0 hydro storage project.

Yet the politics remain as rancorous as ever. The federal government unveiled its National Energy Guarantee (NEG) in November, after Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s Clean Energy Target proved too rich for some in the Coalition. Just before Christmas, the long-awaited climate policy review was released, and was immediately branded as weak.

Both issues are unresolved, and are set to loom large on the landscape this year. But what else is on the horizon?

Read Marc Hudson’s comment in today’s Melbourne Age - “Climate action in 2018: expect same, but different.”

Clean Energy Target: There's nothing in the ACCC report that suggests it should be axed

If the Government is looking for an excuse to ditch the Clean Energy Target, it will struggle to find one in the preliminary report of the competition watchdog's electricity pricing inquiry.

ACCC report disproves the widespread misconception
that renewable energy is responsible for Australia's
higher energy prices.

And if you hear anyone saying the Australian Competition and Consumer Competition (ACCC) report provides backing for such a move, don't buy it — it's spin.

The ACCC has, in fact, given the lie to the widespread misconception that incentives for renewable energy are the main reason Australians are paying far more for electricity than they used to.

Retail prices have risen by almost two-thirds over the course of a decade, but the report confirms that subsidies for renewables have made a very minor contribution to that huge rise.

Read the ABC News story - “Clean Energy Target: There's nothing in the ACCC report that suggests it should be axed.”

Dumping clean energy target is 'dealbreaker' for Labor's support

Shadow climate change
minister Mark Butler.

The shadow climate change minister Mark Butler says Labor won’t support the Turnbull government’s new energy policy if it dumps the clean energy target recommended by the chief scientist, Alan Finkel.

With the Turnbull government expected to press ahead with its new energy policy this week after consideration by the cabinet and the party room, Butler issued a clear public warning on Sunday that the loss of the clean energy target meant there was no prospect of bipartisan agreement between the major parties.

Butler said Labor had been prepared to keep an open mind on the clean energy target, even though it was not the opposition’s preferred policy option, because the model had been thought through by the chief scientist and endorsed uniformly by stakeholders across the community.

Read Katharine Murphy’s story on The Guardian - “Dumping clean energy target is 'dealbreaker' for Labor's support.”

Australia’s solar juggernaut is coming quicker than anyone thinks

It is perhaps not surprising that the fossil fuel industry has hit the panic button and is pushing hard for the Turnbull/Abbott Coalition government to dump the proposed clean energy target and replace it with something that might be called a coal energy target.

They can see what’s coming – and there is probably no better way to describe it than a solar juggernaut.

The fact that solar will become the dominant energy source appears to be under no doubt, even the International Energy Agency admits it. And the CSIRO and AEMO appear to be in agreement that even behind the meter solar will account for around half of all demand by the 2040s or 2050s.

But what if it happened a lot quicker than that? Australia’s grid prices have jumped again to absurdly high levels, and this has lit a fire under the rooftop solar market, which will be followed by a major push by corporate buyers into the large-scale market. The solar sector could boom in ways not previously imagined.

Read the story by Giles Parkinson on RenewEconomy  - “Australia’s solar juggernaut is coming quicker than anyone thinks.”

'Aim for the targets' - Shepparton News

As the Federal Government hints it might step away from a clean energy target, the Goulburn Valley Environment Group believes the target would improve certainty and remove barriers to solar investment in the region.

Tatura's Terry Court - clean energy target a
sound way of managing this
transition to a carbon less economy.

GVEG energy spokesperson Terry Court said the clean energy target, among a raft of recommendations handed down by chief scientist Alan Finkel, was ‘‘a sound way of managing this transition to a carbon less economy’’ and a vital component of the Finkel report.

‘‘We should introduce it and we should not waiver,’’ he said.

He said such a target would give industry incentive and offer a sound policy foundation to facilitate substantial investment.

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told an energy summit on Monday the government was considering its new policy against a backdrop of the rapidly-falling cost of renewables and storage, greater efficiencies being found in thermal generation and the need for power which can be delivered according to the market’s needs.

A new poll shows nearly threequarters of Coalition voters think the policy is a good idea.

The Australia Institute polling found almost four in five people said the government should introduce a clean energy target to encourage the construction of new clean energy sources.

But the clean energy target recommended by Dr Finkel was unpopular with conservative MPs, who do not want more subsidies for renewables and favour government support for coal-generated power.

‘‘I notice the Coalition has taken on all Finkel recommendations other than this one,’’ Mr Court said.

‘‘I think they’re being driven by some very conservative and naive elements of the Coalition government,’’ he said.

‘‘And some of them are complete and utter climate change deniers.’’

In a speech in London this week, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott said climate change may be doing more good than harm.

Mr Frydenberg’s response was blunt: ‘‘Climate change is real.’’ Mr Court said an opportunity existed for bipartisan agreement on a target.

‘‘(A target) that might not be as ambitious, but one that can certainly help provide a sound foundation for investment,’’ he said.

He said large industry wanted the introduction of a clean energy target ‘‘so they know where they’re going’’.

A positive for such a target locally, was several large scale solar instillations being planned for the region, he said.

‘‘If we can get some policy certainty here, more installations will be constructed,’’ he said.

‘‘So they can make that investment. (At the moment) it’s holding back investment.’’

Story from today’s Shepparton News - “Aim for the targets.”

Path cleared for release of Turnbull's reliable energy package

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg -
he has failed Australians.

Malcolm Turnbull's long-awaited energy package will be released as soon as next week after the energy committee of cabinet approved the package on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle to the policy's release.

The energy package will dump Chief Scientist Alan Finkel's proposal for a clean energy target and, instead, focus on a clutch of measures aimed at fixing reliability issues in the National Electricity Market, and improving electricity affordability.

The full cabinet is now likely to examine the package of measures next Monday ahead of the package being presented to the Coalition party room as early as Tuesday morning.

Along with resolving the same-sex marriage issue this year, finalising its post-2020 energy policy is a key political objective Malcolm Turnbull has set his government, and is seen within the Coalition as a necessary hurdle to be cleared if the government is to revive its fortunes in 2018.

Read the story by James Massola and Mark Kenny in today’s Melbourne Age - “Path cleared for release of Turnbull's reliable energy package.”

(It's time the Turnbull Government got serious about resolving Australia's energy crisis and within that made a genuine attempt to reduce Australia's carbon dioxide emissions. There is, sadly, no silver bullet solution rather, achievement of such a target needs a many facetted attack from societal behaviour to a serious and sweeping change about our approach to energy creation and its use.

One thing a bold and innovative government should be doing is building a renewable energy infrastrucfure in that it should be working toward making every premises, domestic and business, its own power station, through the use of solar and batteries, and wind, and a smart grid the draws both hydro and wave power, not to mention geothermal.

Beyond, thatit shoudl be helping Australians better understand how they can continue to lead fulfilling and complete lives while using less energy.

It won't be easy, it will be confrontational and controversial, but ultimately, comforting - Robert McLean)

Interview: Ian Chubb and Penny Sackett

Emma Alberica.

Emma Alberici speaks to former chief scientists Ian Chubb and Penny Sackett about Tony Abbott's comments on climate change and his view that the federal government should abandon a Clean Energy Target.

Watch the Lateline report - “Interview: Ian Chubb and Penny Sackett.”

Chief Scientist Alan Finkel makes last ditch plea for clean energy target

Australia's Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has made a last-ditch plea to save the proposed clean energy target, even as the Turnbull government signalled it will reject the proposal by the end of the year.

Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel and South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill. 

South Australian premier Jay Weatherill responded on Monday to the apparent standstill, saying the states should "bypass the federal government and provide investment certainty for the electricity sector" by adopting their own target.

The Turnbull government asked Dr Finkel to review Australia's electricity market to set a policy path that would ensure reliability in the electricity system while also providing clear policy settings to drive investment in generation - something the business community has been demanding.

But in the face of strong opposition from sections of the Coalition backbench to the clean energy target, the Turnbull government delayed any decision on the target while adopting the other 49 recommendations in the Finkel review.

Read the story in today’s Melbourne Age by Cole Larimer and James Massola - “Chief Scientist Alan Finkel makes last ditch plea for clean energy target.”

Top adviser urges Coalition to end paralysis on clean energy target

One of Australia's most senior energy advisers has pleaded with the Turnbull government to end its paralysis over a clean energy target, saying the lack of clarity is hurting consumers already hit by soaring power prices.

Chloe Munro, chairwoman of the national energy
market operator's expert advisory panel.

"At least the states have a plan," said Chloe Munro, chairwoman of the national energy market operator's expert advisory panel.

Speaking at a symposium on energy futures, she said that while other countries were grappling with the transition towards clean energy, Australia was leaving it to the market, with potentially negative consequences for the community.

She said states were setting renewable energy targets in a time of unstable supply, rapidly rising wholesale prices and a lack of direction from Canberra.

Read Adam Carey’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Top adviser urges Coalition to end paralysis on clean energy target.

Barnaby Joyce warns Tony Abbott over threat to cross Turnbull government

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has rebuked Tony Abbott for threatening to cross the floor of Parliament if any kind of clean energy target was pursued by the Turnbull government.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has warned
Tony Abbott against destabilising the Turnbull government. 

Mr Abbott spelt out his opposition to the one recommendation of the Finkel energy review that has not been embraced by the Coalition, saying it was "unconscionable for a government that was originally elected promising to abolish the carbon tax and to end Labor's climate obsessions to go further down this renewable path”.

"There should be no subsidies for further solar and wind because this is inherently unreliable and, again I say, we've got to move away from all this talk of renewable targets and have a reliable energy target," Mr Abbott told Sky News on Tuesday night.

The former Liberal prime minister said several MPs had "extremely serious reservations" about the government's clean energy target.

Read Stephanie Peatling’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Barnaby Joyce warns Tony Abbott over threat to cross Turnbull government.”

Tony Abbott warns against 'unconscionable' renewable target

Tony Abbott is reportedly threatening to cross the floor to vote against a clean energy target, warning Malcolm Turnbull it would be “unconscionable” for the government to do anything to further encourage investment in renewable energy.

 Tony Abbott has implied he could cross the floor, calling the
idea of supporting a clean energy target ‘unconscionable’. 

Abbott told Sky News on Tuesday evening the government had to address market failure by providing base-load power and building coal-fired power stations.

“If we can have Snowy 2.0, let’s have Hazelwood 2.0, and get on with it,” he said, drawing a comparison between the prime minister’s support for pumped hydropower and calls within the Coalition for a new coal-fired power station.

Read Paul Karp’s story on The Guardian - “Tony Abbott warns against 'unconscionable' renewable target.”

Turnbull government is working on a major redesign of the clean energy target

The Turnbull government is working on a major redesign of the clean energy target that will likely fall short of the plan for almost half of Australia's electricity to be generated by renewables by 2030.

Clean energy target: Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. 

Internal discussions have commenced about a revised target that would set a higher emissions baseline than the 0.6 tonnes of carbon per megawatt hour suggested by the Finkel review. The revised scheme would allow high-efficency, low-emission coal-fired power plants that emit about 0.7 tonnes of carbon to receive partial certificates, or credits.

Political hard-heads in the Coalition believe that if the government were to adopt the 42 per cent target proposed by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, which is not far short of Labor's 50 per cent target, the government will not be able to win a fight that frames the opposition as the party of higher power prices at the next election.

As one MP put it, "if we were going to do Finkel's CET, it would be done already”.

Read James Massola’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Turnbull government is working on a major redesign of the clean energy target.”

Base-load investment scheme' could keep coal alive, but Liddell power station has 'mammoth problems’

Support is hardening in the federal Coalition for coal-fired power to have a medium-term role in Australia's electricity market, with some MPs suggesting a "base-load investment scheme" to upgrade and extend the life of coal plants and operate alongside a future Clean Energy Target.

The Liddell power station.

But the Liddell power station at the centre of the political fight over energy is operating at below half its rated capacity, and would present "mammoth problems" for any company seeking to extend its life, according to a former senior Macquarie Generation engineer.

The retired senior engineer, who worked at the neighbouring coal-fired Bayswater plant and had frequent discussions with his counterparts at Liddell, said Liddell was known "to have massive problems”.

"It's just never been a good plant," the man, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. "It's never been reliable.”

Read the story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Base-load investment scheme' could keep coal alive, but Liddell power station has 'mammoth problems’.”

Turnbull government ignoring 'easiest way' to cut power prices, say electricity companies

Electricity generators have rebuked the Turnbull government for delaying the introduction of a clean energy target, arguing a target will trigger new investment and bring down power bills. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with Upper
Tumut Area Manager Kent Allen, during his tour
of the Snowy Hydro Tumut 2 power station on Monday.

Mr Turnbull will meet the bosses of some of Australia's biggest power companies in Sydney on Wednesday for a second round of discussions about skyrocketing rising power prices.

At an earlier meeting in August, a deal was struck for millions of Australians to be notified when their discount electricity plans expire, which could save households more than $1000 a year, as well as some other consumer protection measures. 

The companies who will attend the next meeting include Energy Australia, Momentum Energy, Simply Energy, Alinta Energy, Origin Energy, AGL, Australian Energy Council and Snowy Hydro.

Read James Massola’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Turnbull government ignoring 'easiest way' to cut power prices, say electricity companies.”

Energy solutions but weak on climate – experts react to the Finkel Review

The keenly anticipated Finkel Review, commissioned in the wake of last year’s South Australian blackout, has made a range of recommendations aimed at delivering a reliable, secure and sustainable National Electricity Market.

Dr Alan Finkel. 

Among the proposals is a new Clean Energy Target to boost investment in low-carbon electricity generation, as well as moves to require high-emitting power stations to give three years’ notice before shutting down.

Below, our experts react to the measures.

Read the piece on The Conversation - “Energy solutions but weak on climate – experts react to the Finkel Review.”

Turnbull targets power companies over bills, generators call for Clean Energy Target

Power companies have blamed a decade of political uncertainty in Canberra for sharp rises in power prices, and implored the Turnbull government to adopt a proposed Clean Energy Target.

Treasurer Scott Morrison, Prime Minister Malcolm
 Turnbull and Minister for Environment and Energy
Josh Frydenberg address the media on Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg met eight power companies - Energy Australia, Momentum Energy, Simply Energy, Alinta Energy, Origin Energy, AGL, Australian Energy Council and Snowy Hydro - on Wednesday to discuss sky rocketing electricity prices.

While the meeting was supposed to focus on retail power prices, according to sources in the meeting "the point was made more than once that a Clean Energy Target was needed to give the sector certainty to invest”.

Mr Turnbull confirmed the proposed Clean Energy Target was discussed but said retail prices had been the primary focus.

Read James Masola’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Turnbull targets power companies over bills, generators call for Clean Energy Target.”

GE global renewables head Jerome Pecresse warns on clean energy target

Failure by the Turnbull government to settle on a clean energy target risks it losing recently restored momentum in the clean energy industry and undermining the credibility of Australia's global climate commitments, the head of General Electric's renewables division says.

Jerome Pecresse, GE's global head of renewable
energy, in Sydney for the Clean Energy Summit. 

The US energy giant has $1.6 billion in new wind farm projects under way in Australia that will add 800 megawatts of capacity to the grid as the industry rebounds from policy uncertainty during the Abbott government.

Read Peter Hannam’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “GE global renewables head Jerome Pecresse warns on clean energy target.”

Four states strike out on their own to build a clean energy target without the Commonwealth

South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have effectively declared no confidence in the federal government as it grapples with the question of whether to set up a clean energy target, deciding to go it alone and ask the Australian Energy Market Commission to draw up plans for one.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg speaks during a COAG Energy Council meeting in Brisbane on Friday.

The clean energy target was the only recommendation of 50 made by chief scientist Alan Finkel not to be adopted unanimously when the state and Commonwealth energy ministers met in Brisbane on Friday.

The communique noted that the Commonwealth was still "carefully considering" the target and said the four states would separately ask the Commission to design a target as they were entitled to under its rules.

Read Peter Martin’s story in the Melbourne Age -  “Four states strike out on their own to build a clean energy target without the Commonwealth.”