Greenhouse gas emissions from diesel vehicles cancelled out cuts from renewable energy

Greenhouse gas emissions from diesel cars, utes and vans have risen sharply since 2011, effectively cancelling out the cut in pollution from new renewable energy replacing some coal plants.

A surge in ownership of diesel vehicles is
 the main reason emissions from transport
leapt by more than 10% over the decade.

A surge in ownership of larger diesel vehicles is a central reason emissions from transport leapt by more than 10% over the decade, according to the monthly emissions audit published by progressive thinktank the Australia Institute.

They rose as the federal government considered, promoted and ultimately shelved plans to introduce vehicle emissions standards to address the issue.

Read the story from The Guardian by Adam Morton - “Greenhouse gas emissions from diesel vehicles cancelled out cuts from renewable energy.”

Replacing Liddell with renewables is $1.4 billion cheaper than government plan, report says

The Turnbull government's plan to keep the worn-out Liddell power station running for another five years would cost about $1.4 billion more than replacing it with clean energy, and spew millions of tonnes of damaging carbon pollution, a new analysis shows.

The Australian Conservation Foundation says
 replacing Liddell's capacity with clean energy
would be far cheaper and less polluting.

The findings cast further doubt on the wisdom of keeping Australia's oldest operating coal plant open beyond its slated closure in 2022, and have implications for the expected retirement of most existing coal-fired power stations within 15 years.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg in September ordered energy giant AGL to keep open the coal-fired plant for five extra years or sell it to a party that will.

The demand followed a report by the Australian Energy Market Operator that warned the closure of Liddell, in NSW's Hunter region, would leave a 1000-megawatt shortfall of "flexible, dispatchable" capacity, which is energy that can be created on demand.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Replacing Liddell with renewables is $1.4 billion cheaper than government plan, report says.”