NSW to cut emissions by 35 pct by 2030, attacks “vested interests and ideologues” — RenewEconomy
NSW government breaks ranks with federal Coalition, signing off on 2030 target to reduce emissions by 35 per cent amid bushfire crisis. The post NSW to cut emissions by 35 pct by 2030, attacks “vested interests and ideologues” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via NSW to cut emissions by 35 pct by 2030, attacks “vested interests and ideologues” — RenewEconomy
Which parts of Australia deliver the cheapest wind and solar? — RenewEconomy
AEMO says south west Queensland and South Australia deliver lowest cost solar, while Tasmania has the lowest cost wind resource. The post Which parts of Australia deliver the cheapest wind and solar? appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Which parts of Australia deliver the cheapest wind and solar? — RenewEconomy
AEMO maps out path to 90 per cent renewables for Australia by 2040 — RenewEconomy
Australia will need at least 30GW of new wind and solar capacity to replace expected coal generator retirements, over the next two decades, and up to 47GW in the case of a “step change” scenario. The post AEMO maps out path to 90 per cent renewables for Australia by 2040 appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via AEMO maps out path to 90 per cent renewables for Australia by 2040 — RenewEconomy
UNSW scientists say they have key to unlock low-cost green hydrogen — RenewEconomy
Australian scientists say a new green hydrogen production technique could slash costs by avoiding the need for expensive metals. The post UNSW scientists say they have key to unlock low-cost green hydrogen appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via UNSW scientists say they have key to unlock low-cost green hydrogen — RenewEconomy
The missing pieces from AEMO’s big energy transition plan — RenewEconomy
If the grid valued environmental outcomes there wouldn’t need to be so many different scenarios in AEMO’s Integrated System Plan. The post The missing pieces from AEMO’s big energy transition plan appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via The missing pieces from AEMO’s big energy transition plan — RenewEconomy
Coalition pushes for nuclear ban to be lifted, Labor says its madness,
Coalition pushes for nuclear ban to be lifted, Labor says its madness, https://reneweconomy.com.au/coalition-pushes-for-nuclear-ban-to-be-lifted-labor-says-its-madness-43980/, Sophie Vorrath, Federal Coalition MPs have called on the Morrison government to lift the ban on nuclear energy and pave the way for “emerging nuclear technologies to be introduced into Australia’s energy mix, despite their enormous expense, huge environmental risks, and as-yet unproven technical status.
The controversial push comes with the tabling of a 230-page report on Friday, the result of the inquiry into nuclear power called by energy and emissions reduction minister, and ex anti-wind campaigner Angus Taylor.
It was conducted by the Liberal dominated House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy and chaired by pro-nuclear MP Ted O’Brien. See also: Federal nuclear inquiry report: Loopy lunatics in charge of the asylum
The finding from the Coalition MPs is unsurprising, but it should be noted that it goes against the advice from some of Australia’s foremost energy market authorities, including the Australian Energy Market Operator, who – as part of an expert panel including representatives from the market regulator (AER) and rule maker (AEMC) – told the inquiry that nuclear power just didn’t stack up against firmed renewables.
The nuclear report – entitled Not without your approval – was unveiled by O’Brien on Friday, who said it was “informed” by months of evidence-taking and the assessment of over 300 submissions on the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia.
In a statement released with the report, O’Brien urged Australians to “say a definite ‘No’ to old nuclear technologies but a conditional ‘Yes’ to what he called new and emerging technologies such as “small modular reactors,” which the inquiry was told by nearly all experts would not be commercially available for at least a decade.
But the Coalition report largely skated over the costs, and the delays in new technologies, and the projections from AEMO that Australia’s grid could reach 90 per cent renewables by the time that nuclear could be built in Australia, and instead relied on the highly contestable submissions from a group of nuclear proponents and ginger groups.
The focus on small modular reactors, or SMRs, is in line with the advice to the Committee from Ziggy Switkowski, who headed up the Coalition’s last nuclear thought bubble.
In fact, Switkowski told the Committee that the only hope for nuclear in Australia hinged on the future of Small Modular Reactors – which, as Jim Green explains here, are currently “non-existent, overhyped, and obscenely expensive.” The CSIRO and the AEMO agree – at least on the expensive bit.
O’Brien appears to have taken Switkowski’s advice and spun it into something resembling action on climate change, which is a new angle for the federal Coalition.
“If we’re serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we can’t simply ignore this zero-emissions baseload technology,” he said, ignoring AEMO’s and other advice about the potential of emission cuts from renewables, something backed up by the latest government report.
“But we also need to be humble enough to learn lessons from other countries who have gone down this path. It’s as much about getting the technology right as it is about maintaining a social license based on trust and transparency.” No mention of the massive cost blowouts and delays in every other western country that has tried to build new nuclear.
O’Brien said “the Australian people should be at the centre of any approval process, and refer to a separate and possibly self-defeating recommendation of the report, that the partial-lift of the moratorium be subject to a technology assessment and a commitment to community consent as a condition of approval for any nuclear power or nuclear waste disposal facility.
The federal opposition has slammed O’Brien’s recommendation, which it says has been made “despite clear evidence nuclear power is enormously expensive, slow, inflexible, and dangerous to the environment and human health.”
The Committee’s deputy chair, ALP MP Josh Wilson, said O’Brien’s view was not supported by Labor – which has argued in a dissenting report that the pursuit of nuclear power is “madness.”
Senate Inquiry recommends consideration of nuclear energy, but public must approve
Dave Sweeney, 13 Dec 19, A parliamentary committee has released a report into nuclear energy that puts the Australian people at the centre of any approval process for a future nuclear plant. “Nuclear energy should be on the table for consideration as part of our future energy mix”, said Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien who chairs the House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy. “Australia should say a definite ‘No’ to old nuclear technologies but a conditional ‘Yes’ to new and emerging technologies such as small modular reactors. “And most importantly,” said Mr O’Brien “the Australian people should be at the centre of any approval process”.
1 This month
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Antinuclear 