‘Something missing': Final national energy paper omits modelling data

The final report from the Energy Security Board on the Turnbull government's signature energy policy does not contain detailed modelling the states were awaiting, an absence that could further complicate approval on the plan.

Australia's energy policy debate is heading to a climax.

The states and territories, which must provide unanimous support for the National Energy Guarantee for it to proceed on Wednesday were sent an extended version of the board's final detailed design paper.

Read the story by Peter Hannam from The Sydney Morning Herald -“‘Something missing': Final national energy paper omits modelling data.”

Northern Territory's largest onshore gas producer to increase exploration

While Territorians await the final report from the inquiry into hydraulic fracking, to be released next month, the NT's largest onshore gas producer is ramping up production.

Central Petroleum's Operations Manager James van
 Rooyen checks the East Mereenie number 7 well.

Central Petroleum will be drilling up to four new wells in March, in an effort to source gas to fill the Northern Gas Pipeline.

The $800 million pipeline will run from Tennant Creek to Mt Isa, and is due to pipe its first gas at the end of the year.

As Central Petroleum use conventional methods to extract the gas, rather than unconventional extraction, or 'fracking', the current NT moratorium in place does not apply to their wells.

Read the ABC News story by Katrina Beavan - “Northern Territory's largest onshore gas producer to increase exploration.”

Government's proposed carbon cuts inadequate in the extreme

S

uggestions by the Federal Government that Australia will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 26 per cent, based on 2005 figures, is inadequate in the extreme.

Ross Garnaut - considering emissions
in a global context.

Australia is clearly among the world’s worst polluters of the atmosphere and so it should be declaring a cut of at least 80 per cent and taking evidence of how that will happen to the Paris climate conference later this year.

Consider these numbers from the Garnaut Review - “Australia’s emissions in a global context”.

Ross Garnaut was commissioned by the Australian Government to provide an independent update to his 2008 Climate Change Review. He is also an independent expert adviser to the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee.

The Garnaut Climate Change Review—Update 2011 released a series of papers in February and March 2011 addressing developments across a range of areas including:

-      climate change science and impacts,

-      international mitigation progress,

-      carbon pricing, land,

-      innovation, and

-      the electricity sector.

Professor Garnaut delivered his final report to the Prime Minister on 31 May 2011.