Keeping up with curtailment: The what and the where
This article shares some insights about curtailment for semi-scheduled solar and wind farms in the National Electricity Market and is a more in-depth follow-on to an earlier article about the issue.
EV battery range and price discrepancies good news for buyers
Despite a rapidly evolving electric vehicle market, myths that they are unsuited to Australian roads have persisted. According to the Electric Vehicle Council, there remains a misconception that EVs are unsuited to Australian conditions due to low battery ranges, the landscape and the country’s immature EV charging infrastructure.
No threat to farm land: just 1,200 square kilometres can fulfil Australia’s solar and wind energy needs
As Australia’s rapid renewable energy rollout continues, so too does debate over land use. Nationals Leader David Littleproud, for example, claimed regional areas had reached “saturation point” and cannot cope with more wind and solar farms and transmission lines.
China’s pivot to renewables presents challenges and opportunities for Australia
China’s energy landscape is undergoing a staggering transformation propelled by its leadership in cleantech innovation, declining costs in renewable energy technologies and a massive acceleration of its renewables build out, underpinned by central policy support that sees decarbonisation as a key economic goal.
Fastest energy change in history is still underway
In 2023 solar photovoltaics and wind comprised about 80% of global net generation capacity additions. Four times as much new solar and wind electricity generation capacity was installed in 2023 as compared with all other electricity sources combined.
Albanese’s green industries bet: boost for our regions?
Right now, there’s a global race underway. The goal: bring back manufacturing and energy jobs as the energy transition speeds up.
Future Made in Australia Act – A positive direction that would benefit from cooperative partnerships
The broad contours of the federal government’s plan to introduce a Future Made in Australia Act foreshadow several positive directions. But the approach also holds clear risks and unanswered questions which will need to be addressed as the plan is fleshed out,
Australian solar evades clouds to perform in March
Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, and New South Wales were over-performing solar regions in March. This overperformance in the southeast and southwest came despite most of the Australian continent seeing below-average irradiance, due to thicker-than-usual clouds over the sparsely-populated interior and tropics.
Billion-dollar investment could revive Australian solar manufacturing
Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government has announced it will plough $1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those in the solar industry, and guarding against supply chain shocks and geopolitical tension.
More coal subsidies to extend Eraring’s life ‘unjustifiable’
Electricity gen-tailer Origin Energy is currently in talks with the New South Wales government to extend the life of Australia’s biggest coal power clunker, the hyper-expensive, high-emissions, end-of-life 2.88 GW Eraring plant, beyond its slated closure date of August 2025. The reason cited for extension is to maintain reliable and secure energy supply in our state.
