Policy

Last week the Morrison Government launched the revamped version of its energy price comparison website, Energy Made Easy. The website carries new features installed by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) designed to help Australians get a better deal on their energy bill.

Australia’s ability to fuel a manufacturing boom has never been greater. A timely new study by the Centre for Future Work shows what plugging production into solar, wind and hydro could do to build competitive industries and a sustainable, high-employment scenario.

Topping off a big week for solar in Queensland, Premier Palaszczuk announced the partnership between Energy Queensland owned Yurika and the Queensland Investment Corporation which will see 15 MW of solar installed across five shopping centres.

The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences is installing solar PV across its facilities nationwide. The Institute, which in part studies the impacts of climate change on our marine and coastal ecosystems, is on the scientific front lines of a bleached world without renewables.

New research out of Monash University has revealed that Australian states and territories are lagging behind in COAG Energy Council commitments to improve energy productivity by 2030. Modelling shows that national objectives will only be half met.

As part of the NSW Government’s ambition to transition the entire public bus fleet to zero emissions, Transport NSW is seeking out expressions of interest for participants in trials of zero emission buses. 

Westpac is committing to major investment restructuring over the coming decade as it looks to align its business with Paris 2050 commitments and its own emissions reduction scheme. The bank is seeking to offset its global emissions with 100% renewables by 2025.

A study by the International Energy Agency into the chilling effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on energy demand states renewables will be ‘the only energy source likely to experience demand growth for the rest of 2020’. The slower the economic recovery, the more the fossil fuel industry will suffer.

WA’s McGowan Government has set up a $9 million Clean Energy Future Fund which it will top up with the royalties of ‘unconventional onshore oil and gas projects’, a euphemism for fracking.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has found that the country already has the technical capability to safely operate a system where three-quarters of electricity comes from wind and solar. However, to do so it needs to get regulations right.