National Energy Guarantee endorsed by Coalition party room despite backbench concern

The Coalition party room has approved the Prime Minister's plan for a National Energy Guarantee.

The PM and Energy Minister argue the NEG will
be kinder to hip pockets and reduce emissions.

After a morning of debate, Liberal and National MPs have endorsed the NEG, but former prime minister Tony Abbott has expressed strong concern about it.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it meant the nation was "one step closer to cheaper and more reliable energy”.

The meeting lasted for almost two-and-a-half hours and has been described as “testy".

Read the story by Louise Yaxley from ABC News - “National Energy Guarantee endorsed by Coalition party room despite backbench concern.”

Tony Abbott steps up attack on Malcolm Turnbull's climate plan

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told nervous Liberal and Nationals MPs that Australia must do its part to cut greenhouse gas emissions, as his predecessor Tony Abbott led another attack on the issue in the Coalition party room.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has again
questioned the Coalition's energy policy.

Mr Turnbull held the line on the government’s pledge to cut emissions by 26 per cent by 2030 under the National Energy Guarantee, against vocal concerns from six Liberal MPs, including Mr Abbott.

At one point Mr Abbott claimed he was “misled by bureaucrats” over the cost of the emissions cut he helped decide as Prime Minister in 2015, which was taken to the United Nations climate talks in Paris that year.

Read the story from The Age by David Crowe - “Tony Abbott steps up attack on Malcolm Turnbull's climate plan.”

Finkel modelling ignores new technologies, cheaper renewables

Here we go again. The Australian public and the Coalition party room are being told that allowing coal-fired generators to continue beyond their 50 year life offers the cheapest path to a transition to a low carbon economy.

Dr Alan Finkel.

But they are being misled. This conclusion is only reached through modelling prepared by a private consultancy for the Finkel Review that deliberately ignores certain new technologies such as battery storage that can provide grid security and replace coal-fired generation at a much cheaper cost than gas.

The detailed modelling – prepared by consultancy Jacobs for the panel led by chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel – also ignores recent big falls in the costs of wind and solar, and over-estimates the cost to build new wind and solar plants.

The Australian public – and the Coalition party room – are being told that the cheapest and most effective way to address emissions is to allow coal-fired power stations to remain in the system beyond their 50-year asset life.

Read the story on RenewEconomy by Giles Parkinson - “Finkel modelling ignores new technologies, cheaper renewables.”