The Crunch: everything is expensive and why you shouldn’t use a pie chart The five best charts from the fortnight including booming rooftop solar data and torrential rain in Australia The Guardian - AU · Jan 11, 2024
Queensland power supply to face strain as heatwave sends demand to near-record levels Surging consumption comes despite ‘very sleepy period’ for electricity use, energy expert says The Guardian - AU · Dec 29, 2023
Australian governments need to set clear policy direction for gas sector, says regulator A growing number of householders are turning off gas and bans on new connections are spreading The Guardian - AU · Sep 17, 2023
AGL agrees to keep Victoria’s Loy Yang A power station available until mid-2035 Deal with Victorian government includes $50m to support ‘orderly retirement’ of coal-fired plant to provide certainty to workers, the community and industry The Guardian - AU · Aug 21, 2023
Future uncertain for key Tasmania to mainland power transmission link after $2bn cost blowout Federal government in discussion with states after Marinus Link price tag increases, putting decarbonisation and energy goals at risk The Guardian - AU · Aug 10, 2023
Tensions emerge between state and federal governments over Australia’s energy grid roadmap Disquiet points to jockeying among jurisdictions and impatience over the rollout of renewables The Guardian - AU · Jul 22, 2023
Do the fossil fuel industry’s claims of Australia’s gas-fired future stack up? Appea’s assertion that gas is indispensable is ludicrous when it’s renewables that are replacing coal The Guardian - AU · Jun 8, 2023
A late heatwave will test NSW’s strained electricity grid – and Perrottet can’t afford any hint of disruption Labor backs the Coalition’s energy roadmap but accelerated coal plant closures and renewable project delays are raising concerns The Guardian - AU · Mar 15, 2023
Sun Cable demise shows renewable energy mega projects 'really hard' The collapse of billionaires' plans to export solar power from northern Australia to Singapore highlights the challenges facing mega renewable energy projects, experts say. ABC News · Jan 22, 2023
Snowy Hydro could change our electricity grid and bring cheap power. But we have to build it Snowy Hydro 2.0 is a water-fuelled dream of cheap, clean electricity. But to make it happen, there are hurdles needing to be overcome. ABC News · Jan 5, 2023
Ross Garnaut’s Superpower follow-up tells a story of promise but also of peril The economist’s new book proposes an expanded Renewable Energy Target and an energy reserve system to ensure grid reliability The Guardian - AU · Oct 1, 2022
Nationals say renewables can’t meet energy needs without fossil support. But do the claims firm up? The Nationals have turned the scare rhetoric up to 11, but the energy market operator has already accounted for much of their criticisms The Guardian - AU · Sep 29, 2022
Snowy Hydro boss Paul Broad resigns leaving project facing delays and cost blowouts Price tag for pumped hydro scheme has increased from $2bn to about $5bn since announced by Malcolm Turnbull in 2017 The Guardian - AU · Aug 26, 2022
Energy ministers’ reforms to Australia’s electricity market could be path to a carbon price, experts say Federal, state and territory ministers are set to make emissions reduction a priority for the national electricity market The Guardian - AU · Aug 10, 2022
The Guardian - AU · Jun 30, 2022 Net zero nuance: commentary on decarbonising the grid misses the mark on batteries and nuclear One claim from the past week is based on a nuclear plant that hasn’t been built and another confuses the role of battery storage
The Guardian - AU · Jun 13, 2022 Power shortages could hit eastern Australia as energy market operator scrambles to avoid outages Aemo cancels alert on potential blackouts in Victoria but electricity shortfalls forecast to continue in Queensland and New South Wales
The Guardian - AU · Jun 13, 2022 Big electricity consumers in Queensland cut use to avoid blackouts as NSW faces shortages Market operator in talks with large consumers as country faces energy crisis mainly due to poorly performing coal-fired generators
The Guardian - AU · Jun 12, 2022 Malcolm Turnbull calls for gas export limits as energy regulator caps prices in Queensland Former PM says state and federal governments should ‘make sure all the gas we need is available here’
The Guardian - AU · Jun 10, 2022 As the temperature cools, the heat is on Chris Bowen Gas shortages, reported delays to major projects and coal-fired power woes are among the gifts handed to the new energy minister
The Guardian - AU · Jun 2, 2022 South Australia turns to diesel generators as gas shortage and price spike hits Calls for faster transition away from ‘volatile’ fossil fuel supply as SA burns large amounts of gas and diesel
The Guardian - AU · May 30, 2022 Focus on battery storage could be a cost-effective energy goal for Albanese government, report says With electricity bills soaring, a national Renewable Electricity Storage Target may be one way of achieving lower emissions – and lower prices
The Guardian - AU · May 24, 2022 Coalition delayed news that electricity prices are set to rise until after federal election Outgoing energy minister Angus Taylor rejects suggestion delay was political and regulator says it was necessary to include ‘most recent network costs’
The Guardian - AU · Apr 7, 2022 What would following Australia’s ‘leadership’ on the climate crisis actually look like? The Morrison government is touting their climate credentials but analysts say following Australia’s path would see 3C or more of global heating
The New Daily · Mar 31, 2022 Australia has undergone the world’s second-largest shift to solar and wind in recent years Australia has undergone the second-largest shift to solar power and wind energy in the world, according to a study of global trends from 2019-2021.
The Guardian - AU · Feb 23, 2022 Scott Morrison says closing coal power stations will drive up electricity prices. Is he right? Bid by Mike Cannon-Brookes to take over AGL drew some strong words from the prime minister, but do his claims stack up?