Policy

Two years in the making, Australia’s Energy Security Board today published its shortlist of options for redesigning the electricity market. “Our energy system is experiencing the fastest and most substantial change in the world,” the Board’s Independent Chair, Dr Kerry Schott, said. Addressing this, the paper essentially outlines a number of ways in which Australia could structure its transition to renewables smoothly and reliably. Stakeholders will now be able to provide the feedback on the options before the Board makes it recommendations to ministers in the middle of the year.

Victoria’s Andrews Government has launched a battery aggregation pilot program which seeks to build an “approved aggregation provider list” alongside the Solar Homes battery rebate. The Victorian Government sees the future of virtual power plants and microgrids and this is an opportunity for both consumers and providers to benefit.

Have we stopped using terms such as leadership, and decarbonisation goals in relation to the Australian Federal Government? A new RMIT study rattles the cage of the cowardly Canberran cabal.

Let’s not give Australia’s Prime Minister any more space on the topic of climate change. Scott who? Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency encapsulated the Summit and where we’re at coolly, concisely and cogently.

A 90% clean grid with a transition to EVs would achieve lower electricity costs than one without, the study shows. Transmission investments would mainly be spur lines to new renewable generation.

The Australian Energy Market Commission, the country’s rule maker for electricity and gas markets, has this morning released proposals to reward fast frequency services in the National Electricity Market for the first time.

Company Solahart, which originated in Perth, has delivered a heartening snapshot of solar Australia. It found the country deploys renewable energy 10 times faster per capita than the global average, four times faster per capita than in Europe, China, Japan or the U.S.A. Solahart examined what motivates different demographics of Australians to install solar and which parts of the country are most suited to solar.

At an inner-city dinner party for the Australian Business Council, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “we will not achieve net zero in the cafes, dinner parties and wine bars of our inner cities”; and he was right, because at this particular inner-city dinner party he continued to shy away from net zero 2050 commitments.

Business synergies, employment opportunities, leadership in decarbonising world markets. BZE has the ear of the Prime Minister, and research to inspire a statement of intent for renewable-energy-powered, competitive Australian manufacturing.

The carbon market is finally a reality in China. After 10 years of delays, regional pilot schemes and general uncertainty, China’s national carbon market became a reality on Feb. 1, 2021. Over time, the scheme is expected to support China’s gradual shift away from coal toward more solar and wind in power generation.