Pumped hydro: How does it work and what's the fuss?

The Tasmanian and Federal Governments are pushing ahead with plans to make Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's vision of Tasmania as "the battery of the nation" a reality.

Spillways at the Cethana power plant, one of the
Tasmanian sites to be considered for pumped hydro.

Government ministers met at Lake Cethana in Tasmania's north-west on Wednesday to unveil a list of 14 sites with high potential for pumped hydro energy storage.

So what are the issues, and what is pumped hydro?

Read the ABC News story by Natalie Whiting - “Pumped hydro: How does it work and what's the fuss?”

Carbon price the key to ending Australia’s energy woes

The primary reason for the doubling of electricity prices in the past decade is the failure by successive federal governments to listen to the market.

We have reached an absurd impasse.

he industry itself is saying there is no rational future for coal-fired power generation in Australia.

And yet an avowedly pro-market Coalition government – having intervened some months ago in the gas market with threats to block exports and more recently in the retail electricity market by jawboning sellers into writing to customers about cheaper offerings – is now trying to force one of the biggest operators, AGL, to extend the life of Australia's oldest coal-fired station, NSW's Liddell.

This policy, if continued, will merely enrich AGL with taxpayers' funds and cause further costly delays in the transition to low-emission, low-cost power.

Read the Editorial in today’s Melbourne Age - “Carbon price the key to ending Australia’s energy woes.”

Government accused of policy paralysis while uncertainty reigns over renewable energy targets

The full moon sets behind a wind farm in
 the Mojave Desert in California,
January 8, 2004.

The bickering between state and federal governments on renewable energy targets is creating massive uncertainty, according to climate change and energy specialists.

David Blowers from the Grattan Institute says investors, utilities, industry and householders are in the dark about what to expect in 2017.

Mr Blowers said the only certainty was that electricity prices would rise for everyone.

"Electricity prices have already been factored into next year and they're going to be higher," he said.

"Tackling a new energy system makes that inevitable.

"Replacing a lot of generation stock and infrastructure with a whole lot of new stuff is expensive, so prices will rise.”

Mr Blowers said it might be unpalatable, but there must be give and take on both sides if politicians are to reach consensus and enable investment.

Read the ABC story - “Government accused of policy paralysis while uncertainty reigns over renewable energy targets.”