Phony peace? Challenges to energy plan sent back to modelling board

Partway during Friday's summit of the nation's energy ministers, Victoria's Lily D'Ambrosio interrupted a presentation by the Energy Security Board to query a dot-point about concessions for low-income earners.

Josh Frydenberg has his hands full trying to
develop a masterplan for energy and climate policy.

"Where did that come from?" she reportedly asked, wondering who had directed that research. Such a proposal at this point was a "non starter”.

The problem, though, is not so much the board's unsolicited research but the torrent of studies that comes out of the Melbourne gathering – and the fault lines that they may open up.

That work – presumably to be done well before the ministers meet for a "final determination" on the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) on August 10 in Sydney – includes more details on emissions targets, offsets, the reliability standard to accompany the emissions one, market power mitigation, and the thorny issue of “additionality".

Read the analysis by Peter Hannam from The Age - “Phony peace? Challenges to energy plan sent back to modelling board.”

Blue sky thinking Beneath the Wisteria

Energy, its use and how that use will impact on our atmosphere will be the subject of Saturday’s (April 28) discussions Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton.

Discussion will be broadly about our response to human-induced climate change, but those who attend will be invited to give personal understandings, hopes and wishes about energy use and its conservation in a two minute presentation.

Organizer, Robert McLean, said those personal observations would be listened to without interruption, judgement or criticism, followed by questions.

The public event will be held Beneath the Wisteria at the northern end of the Maude St Mall at 11:30am. Discussions last for about an hour and although some seating is available, those planning to attend should bring a fold-up chair.