Policy

The Palaszczuk Government is helping to fund a feasibility study into the proposed Barcaldine Renewable Energy Hub, a project with the potential to revolutionise the economy of the state’s south-west and turbo-charge the post-Covid-19 economic recovery.

Large energy consumers will be allowed into the wholesale market and paid for reducing their power usage at times of peak demand under a new rule that will be introduced next year.

Townsville in North Queensland is set to receive two new ‘solar trees’ as part of a beautification project designed to connect the city’s new stadium precinct with its CBD as the regional city looks to boost its economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.

Nationals’ Victoria Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh has launched a criticism of the Labor Andrews Government Solar Homes program for its alleged Melbourne-centrism in overlooking his electorate entirely in relation to his battery storage rebate.

The Australian Competition Tribunal is currently hearing arguments on a proposed code that would apply to the ‘buy now pay later’ sales practices of solar panel and installations. It is being argued that the practices are a form of predatory lending.

An Ieefa report has suggested the cost of generating electricity from solar will be near zero in the world’s sunniest regions by 2030-40 – despite what the naysayers at the International Energy Agency might think.

The federal government has announced funding for a series of microgrid feasibility studies that will seek to unlock more secure, affordable, and reliable energy for regional and Indigenous communities.

More than $3 billion of renewable hydrogen projects are vying for funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build the first commercial-scale projects in the country.

The federal government’s new A$688 million HomeBuilder package might protect residential construction jobs but it’s a missed opportunity to deliver sustainability benefits that would save owners money in the long run.

With key decisions to be made about the economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19, New Zealand is taking the high road. The New Zealand Government made significant reforms to its Emissions Trading Scheme, providing a long overdue cap and making progress on emissions reduction solutions for the agriculture industry.