Markets

New economic modelling from Accenture’s AlphaBeta has found 76,000 clean jobs just waiting to be created over the next three years if a green recovery from the twin recoveries from the Black Summer Bushfires and Covid-19 were implemented. The Plan, commissioned by the Climate Council, breaks down potential jobs in the hardest hit regions and occupations.

A 50 MW solar farm at a vacant site in Karrabin is on the verge of construction after Ipswich City Council approved the project’s Materials Change of Use application. Ipswich may have once been Queensland’s ‘cradle of coal mining’ but solar is a sure sign of growing up.

SA Water’s highly ambitious $300 million solar uptake is proving a golden goose as a partnership with Succession Ecology to revegetate almost a tonne of native seedlings under large-scale solar arrays proves a win-win. The ground-mounted modules mean native vegetation can return to formerly agricultural land, and the native scrub itself protects PV panels from soiling.

IHS Markit’s latest report looks at a wave of new investments in large-scale projects. Economies of scale and technological improvements, as well as renewables deployment, could make green hydrogen price-competitive with grey and blue hydrogen.

University of New South Wales researchers have published research disproving claims that the energy transition to large-scale wind and solar would hinder the global economy. The research, which ousts outdated and cherry-picked data while showing the economically salutary effects of renewables, comes as 500 UNSW staff face the axe due to the impact of Covid-19.

The Australian Hydrogen Council is making the most of its universal popularity by singing five new Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with key organisations in the Asia-Pacific and Canada including the Clean Energy Council and Bioenergy Australia.

Solar PPAs are now easier than ever to acquire for large companies and enterprise thanks to the partnership of Green Peak Energy and Energy Ease. The duo have joined forces to offer the Energy Ease PPA, a one stop shop for large solar PPAs and financing.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton has penned a personal plea to Canberra to allow the renewable energy industry to lead the Covid-19 economic recovery, saying the green sector could put the country to work over the next decade if meaningful action was taken now. 

It’s crunch time for renewables and McCain Foods is chipping in with what is being called Australia’s largest ‘behind-the-meter’ renewable energy system at its production facility in Ballarat. The 8.2 MW system will feature 17, 000 solar panels and a co-generation technology feeding on scrap potato skins.

Australian researchers have completed the world’s largest comparative study on carbon pricing and the results are a “crystal clear” message to governments around the world, but particularly Australia – carbon pricing works, and works well.