Nuclear News This Week – Australia

Renewable Energy – yes the news is all about this area. The indomitable Giles Parkinson of REneweconomy just keeps on revealing interesting stuff – like:

the growth in community renewable energy – community solar network Farming the Sun in NSW”s Northern rivers region, the first of several such groups in New South Wales. NSW government’s Office of Environment and Heritage has approved funding for up to 9 groups to develop similar proposals. Community wind farms exist in Victoria (Hepburn Wind project) and in Albany, W.A.
Australian businesses are taking to solar energy, with 1,460 commercial solar installation in the first quarter of this year. This is causing financial distress to fossil fuel energy utilities. Australia needs to follow Germany’s lead in helping fossil fuel utilities to cope with the transition – they will still be needed as the renewable energy revolution progresses, for backup energy.
Meanwhile the Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) got a bit desperate, blaming home solar owners for ‘avoiding network charges’. As Parkinson pointed out, the ESAA ignored the cross-subsidy paid by households with no air conditioning for those who do.
Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) launches screen printing for solar energy – an Australian scientific first!

Federal politics. Greg Hunt Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage reiterated the Liberal Coalition’s plans to repeal the Carbon Tax, remove the Clean Energy Act, and remove Federal powers over Environmental Law. Christine Milne gave a spirited stand for Australia’s environment.

Uranium

Share prices for Australian uranium companies ERA, Paladin, Bannerman Resources, have fallen over 90% since 2007
A new study ‘Economics at Large’ examines Toro Energy’s Wiluna uranium project., and finds that it is financially risky. It might just manage to be financially viable if Toro can avoid clean-up and decommissioning costs.
Paladin Energy is the news again, for all the wrong reasons. Very poor and unsafe working conditions in Paladin’s Kayelekera uranium mine, in Malawi, having led to blindness in one worker. Paladin blamed all this on a”sub-contractor”. They couldn’t get away with this in Australia. Sadly, our mining companies can be “The Ugly Australian” in Africa.