Abbott govt cutback to Renewable Energy Target will cost 1000s of jobs
RET cut a step backwards, says Solar Citizens http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/ret-cut-a-step-backwards-says-solar-citizens/2632812/ 8 May 15 THE announcement today of an in-principle agreement to drastically cut the Renewable Energy Target to 33,000 gigawatt hours will cost thousands of jobs, millions in investment and lock in more expensive power for all Australian consumers, according to Solar Citizens.The decision to slash the Target will take Australia backwards and increase pressure on already stretched family budgets, said National Director Claire O’Rourke.”This massive scale back of the RET could mean up to a $45 billion revenue windfall to the big power companies over the next 15 years and now it looks likely that households will continue to pay more,” she said.
“The vested interests of the power companies have received special treatment from the Abbott Government at the expense of ordinary Australians who want more solar and renewable energy, not less.
“Recent polling from The Australia Institute shows 75% of Australians support an increase in the Renewable Energy Target, not a decrease. The cut to the RET will cost 8,000 jobs and be particularly devastating for solar companies looking at installing big solar projects.
“The Coalition’s proposal to include burning wood waste in the Target, which is the remaining sticking point for the deal, would be yet another horrendous step backwards.
“Renewable energy is recognised globally for the jobs, opportunities and savings on power bills that it can deliver. More than 1.3 million households – that’s at least 2 million voters – have already installed rooftop solar power and are now benefiting from lower power bills.”Yet the decision today will take Australian renewable energy generation backwards.
“They have pledged to support a national goal of at least 50% solar and renewable electricity generation by 2030, an end to unfair fees for solar owners and to help all Australians with the rising cost of electricity bills,” Ms O’Rourke said.
Abbott govt’s new Renewable Energy Target deal freezes investment
Renewable Energy Target: Clean energy sector angry yearly reviews remain following deal http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-08/clean-energy-sector-angry-at-government-change-on-ret/6457070 By political reporter Dan Conifer The clean energy sector is opposing a key part of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) deal struck between the major parties.
The Federal Government and Labor have agreed in-principle to a 33,000 gigawatt hour target for clean energy production by 2020.
But the Government has backflipped at the last minute on a promise to ditch two yearly reviews.
While pleased a deal appears close, companies say the reviews by the climate change authority freeze investment.
“This is an issue we thought had been resolved now by both parties for the last 18 months,” Andrew Richards from wind farm operator Pacific Hydro said.
“We thought they had understood that constant reviews is not good for investor confidence. “We’d like to see it removed. We hope that saner people prevail eventually and they will remove it and will allow us to go on and invest with some level of confidence.”
Wind tower manufacturer Keppel Prince said while it was glad a 33,000 GWh deal has been reached, the reviews needed to stop.
“It just has that air of uncertainty and the industry just locks up any sort of spending for probably a good six to eight months beforehand,” Mr Garner said.
“Every two years we seem to run out of work because the investment just stops.”
The next review is scheduled for 2016 and would follow two reviews last year, including the specially-commissioned Warburton Review that recommended slashing the target.
In a joint statement last month, the environment and industry ministers said: “We will also remove the requirement for regular two-yearly reviews of the RET to give the industry the certainty it needs to move ahead.”
Industry minister Ian Macfarlane now says Cabinet insisted the reviews remain, and Labor did not oppose the plan in talks on Friday.
But Labor’s environment spokesman Mark Butler said the ALP was unlikely to support continued reviews.
“I want to have discussions with the industry about the two year reviews, but our position has been clear on that for almost two years now: we think we need to move away from regular reviews,” Mr Butler said.
Prosperity for Victorian farmers hosting wind farms
There are jobs and prosperity blowin’ in the wind http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/opinion/there-are-jobs-and-prosperity-blowin-in-the-wind/story-fnkerdb0-1227337252668 MAY 06, 2015
“THE single biggest investment in rural Victoria.” That’s how Municipal Association of Victoria president Bill McArthur described the $5 billion worth of new wind farms waiting to be built in Victoria.
This recognition of the sheer scale of the opportunity the wind farms present to regional Victoria is a welcome turn in the debate. In much of the discussion around wind farms, the interests of regional Victoria are too often overlooked. How to keep farming businesses viable. How to keep tenants in the shops along the main street. How to provide the jobs that will draw the next generation of families back to small towns and farms.
These are questions country Australia has constantly had to address.
Wind farms fit with farming. Wind towers use only a fraction of a farmer’s land and add valuable access tracks, improving farm viability.
Wind farm lease payments bring a 25-year income stream on to farms and that money returns to the local economy through things such as farm upgrades, the hire of local labour and purchases from local businesses.
A full-time work force can make a huge difference to a small town and guaranteed rates income has already become vital for shires like Moyne, Pyrenees and Southern Grampians.
Crucially, wind farms don’t use a drop of water. As southeast Australia becomes drier, a large-scale energy source that makes no call on our precious water supplies will become all the more important.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. As The Weekly Times editorial recognised last month, more wind farms will bring a “long-term change to our beloved landscape”. Visually, wind farms are a big deal, but whether people like the look of them or not can’t be the main driver.
An end to the Federal Government’s attack on the renewable energy target will bring a once-in-a-generation investment boom to regional Victoria. Our choice is to embrace this and make it work, or just hope that another opportunity like it might one day turn up.
Andrew Bray is Australian Wind Alliance national co-ordinator
South Australia gets world class floating solar system – by an Australian company
Australian company creates world-first floating solar system NEWS.COM.AU MAY 02, 2015 AN AUSTRALIAN company is leading the way for renewable energy after creating a world-first floating solar system.
Infratech Industries selected the Northern Areas Council Waste Water Treatment Plant in South Australia as the first location to implement the new system.
Director Felicia Whiting said it is expected the innovative technology will generate an estimated 57 per cent more power than fixed land-based systems.
“The proprietary tracking, cooling and concentrating technology uses water to counteract the gradual loss of output caused by overheating solar panels to create a better performing and more efficient system,” she said.
“The Northern Areas Council will reap additional economic benefits with a cost saving of approximately 15 per cent on their current energy expenditure, plus an additional one per cent margin on the excess energy provided to the local community.”
- Ms Whiting said the biggest challenge in implementing the technology was changing the mindset of government officials and bureaucrats who questioned the need for renewable energy.
“Just how strong Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction targets remain unknown, however we do know solar innovation is a milestone towards Australian councils, communities and businesses making a difference,” she said.
“As Australians evangelise this type of technology, it is our hope that renewable energy becomes the mainstream rather than niche solution.
“Change is not beyond us and this is definitely a strong step forward.”………http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/australian-company-creates-world-first-floating-solar-system/story-fnjwucti-1227331868879
Next Australian stock exchange winner could be renewable energy
Could Renewable Energy be the Next Big ASX Winner? Money Morning 5 May 15 On Wednesday, Infratech Industries announced their intention to list on the ASX. It’s a bold move for the fledgling renewables company, which was established in April 2012.
The company is behind the $17.5 million floating solar panels project currently being expanded in South Australia. They say their tracking and cooling technology produces 57% more power than land-based solar panels. It’s a big deal for the entire solar industry.
Chief executive Raj Nellore says that soon, more capital will be required to keep up with demand. Of listing on the ASX, he said ‘once we get to a certain size, [it] makes sense’.
Infratech has partnered up with the Centre for NanoScale Science and Technology at Flinders University (CNST) for research. CNST has backing from the South Australian state government. So their funding — and the partnership with Infratech — is subject to budget changes.
There are other forces that might pressure Infratech to go public sooner rather than later. For example, they may need to raise money to expand their US operations too. Their US entity was opened in June 2014. They signed their first US customer — the City of Holtville, California — in November. That’s pretty much all they’ve done there.
Whenever they do float, they won’t be alone. A small group of renewable energy companies are already listed on the ASX.
Which renewable energy companies are currently on the ASX?
Wave power Carnegie Wave Energy [ASX:CWE] ………
Solar Dyesol [ASX:DYE] ……Enviromission [ASX:EVM]……..
Geothermal The Raya Group [ASX:RYG]……http://www.moneymorning.com.au/20150505/could-renewable-energy-be-the-next-big-asx-winner-cw.html
Abbott govt’s unreasonable delaying on decision about Renewable Energy target
a year and half has passed since the government set about reviewing a policy that they had made no 
mention of planning to cut during their election campaign. A review of the scheme had only just been concluded 12 months prior, saying no need to change it and no need to review it again.
So a few months later, and after spending several hundred thousand dollars, they find out what the earlier review had concluded. This scheme does not significantly increase household electricity bills, in fact if cut it is most likely to increase electricity bills.
But they decide they want to cut the scheme nonetheless
It has become a complete farce. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane’s story for why he couldn’t accept lower cuts to the target have changed every few weeks.
Can Dan Tehan get Abbott to stop playing games over renewable energy?, Climate Spectator, TRISTAN EDIS 1 MAY, Backbench Liberal MP Dan Tehan’s seat of Wannon in southwest Victoria is probably suffering the most from the government’s decision to throw the future state of the Renewable Energy Target into uncertain turmoil.
His seat has one of the best land-based wind resources available in the world with a major power transmission line running right through the middle of it. There’s already several hundred megawatts of wind power capacity built, but also several thousand megawatts proposed in the area.
Meanwhile in the struggling town of Portland with high unemployment, one of Australia’s leading wind tower manufacturers and also wind servicing businesses, Keppel Prince, lays largely idle.
Construction of the wind farms proposed in the area would provide a very large employment boost to a region that badly needs it, while also providing a significant new income stream for local farmers that host the turbines.
His appearance on the ABC’s 7.30 Report last night clearly reflected an incredible degree of frustration with his own government’s lack of interest in giving the wind industry the regulatory stability required for it to come out of its coma…….. Continue reading
Australian Capital Territory could become Australia’s Silicon Valley of renewable energy
ACT pushes to expand its renewable energy industry http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-pushes-to-expand-its-renewable-energy-industry-20150501-1mxt2w.html May 1, 2015 – Clare Colley Reporter at The Canberra Times The ACT could become Australia’s Silicon Valley of renewable energy development and a test site for new 
technology as it moves towards reaching its 90 per cent renewables target by 2020.
At the centrepiece of a new strategy to expand the renewable energy industry in the ACT is a $1.2 million Renewable Energy Innovation Fund collected from private companies as part of the government’s 200 megawatt wind auction. Continue reading
Australian Capital Territory helps Victoria’s wind energy industry to get going
Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm a renewable win for Victoria in dire environment, SMH April 28, 2015 Tom Arup Environment editor, The Age It’s been a torrid few years for renewable energy in Australia, with jobs being shed and investment drying up. The Victoria landscape has been no exception.
So it is perhaps to some state shame that one of the few recent Victorian projects to get the financial go-ahead has been backed by the Australian Capital Territory.
On Tuesday renewable energy firm Windlab announced it has signed a deal with a Japanese company for the final financing for a $50 million wind farm north-west of Bendigo, meaning construction will now begin mid-year.
The Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm will have a modest six turbines and generate up to 19.4 megawatts of power, enough for 14,000 homes It is one of three wind projects supported by the ACT government via feed-in-tariffs, with winning projects selected earlier this year through an auction. Company RES Australia was also backed to build a 80.5 megawatt wind farm near Ararat.
The auctions are part of the ACT’s goal to have 90 per cent of its electricity needs come from renewable power by 2020. Continue reading
AUDIO: Wind power subsidising New South Wales farmers
AUDIO: Farmers use wind farm rent to pay on-farm costs ABC NSW Country Hour 24 Apr 15
Joshua Becker Farmers in south-east New South Wales are using wind farm rent to subsidise on-farm costs. AUDIO: Farmer uses rent from wind farm to pay for on weed management (ABC Rural)
Howard Charles is one of 17 farmers who have wind turbines from the Boco Rock Wind Farm on their properties west of Nimmitabel in south-east NSW.
He said money from hosting wind farms on his property had helped him tackle noxious weeds on his property.
“With the two towers on our farm the extra income from the rent certainly helps with controlling the weeds, which is a never ending problem, serrated tussock in particular,” he said.
“I don’t see any downside, we are the closest house to the wind farm, some of the towers are less than a kilometre from here, even with prevailing winds we don’t hear it, I don’t see it. I do wonder what all the fuss is about sometimes.
“They’re certainly not interfering with our agriculture at all and I think we’re going to wake up down the track to the fact that renewable energy is pretty important.
“The most telling comment I’ve had about this [wind farm] is – ‘thank God we’re not the Hunter Valley’…….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-23/farmers-use-wind-farm-rent-to-pay-on-farm-costs/6415126
Climate change damage makes compelling economic argument for renewable Energy
even without any damage from climate change itself, the argument of moving to renewables (given the position of the rest of the world) makes good economic sense. When you add the risk of damage from climate change the case is unassailable.
Why would a nation like India waste money on taking poles and wires to every remote village and spending billions on coal power stations and metering when solar panels make more sense? They do not provide power continuously, but they are so much cheaper.
We should invest in renewable energy SMH, April 24, 2015 Crispin Hull “……..storms like the ones this week – which scientists say will become more frequent with global warming – should give cause for reflection. The extent and cost of the potential damage is so high that prudence demands action.
But there is another more significant point. Governments can fix most things, but they will not be able to fix climate change. They will not be able to refreeze the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and make the rising seas fall – a bit like King Canute. The damage will be irreversible for thousands or even millions of years.
But governments can force changes to stop the melt in the first place.
There are several reasons why people see no need for any action at all or no need for urgency. We have always had bad weather events.
Change is imperceptible. The science is not conclusive so we can wait before taking action. Damage is a long time off.
If we see real evidence of climate change we can act then to fix it. Australia is just one nation and can do little on its own.
Because so many people think like this, governments have been able to get away with doing so little. Continue reading
Flinders Island to be Asia Pacific benchmark for renewable energy-powered remote communities
Renewable energy and potable water for Flinders Island community
ABC Rural By Rosemary Grant 22 Apr 15 The Bass Strait community of Flinders Island says two major projects to deliver clean water and electricity represent the future for remote settlements.
Over the 18 months, $25 million will be spent; half on a renewable energy scheme, and the rest on potable water for the main towns of Whitemark and Lady Barron.
Flinders Mayor Carol Cox said replacing old fossil fuel power stations with a new lower carbon energy source was a global aim.
Mrs Cox said it was the third time the council had tried to get a reliable renewable electricity system, and the funding commitment would make Flinders Island the benchmark for remote communities………
Mrs Cox said existing wind power would be integrated with a new wind energy generator, solar energy panels at the airport and a new solar energy field around the power station.
Hydro Tasmania will design and install the new $12.9 million multi-source renewable electricity system on Flinders Island.
Project manager Simon Gamble said it was an exciting prototype that would be the benchmark for remote communities in the Pacific and Asia. Continue reading
Senate Inquiry warns of energy “death spiral”
An energy ’death spiral’ could result in electricity prices skyrocketing as more consumers go ‘off-grid’ http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/an-energy-death-spiral-could-result-in-electricity-prices-skyrocketing-as-more-consumers-go-off-grid/story-fnihsrf2-1227312552139 JESSICA MARSZALEK APRIL 21, 2015
AN ENERGY “death spiral” could result in electricity prices skyrocketing further as some customers tear up large bills in favour of using their own solar and battery power.
A Senate committee examining the management of electricity networks has found bill shock will become even more shocking for some unlucky customers as improving technology allows other customers to go “off-grid”.
A report prepared by the Environment and Communications References Committee said it was increasingly likely more and more customers would generate their own electricity in the future as technology improves solar and battery power, leaving fewer customers to foot the bill for the growing and expensive electricity network.
“Electricity prices, largely driven by network costs, have risen significantly while the demand for electricity has declined,” the report says.
“This had led to concern about a death spiral; that is, high prices are causing demand to decline while also encouraging consumers and businesses to engage in their own generation activities. Remaining customers would be required to pay an increasing share of the network costs.”
With more than one million solar power systems already on roofs and emerging battery storage technology allowing homes to store their own solar power, we could see an even more dramatic behaviour shift.
The report recommended an urgent investigation into electricity production, asking state governments to “prioritise efforts” to focus on whether networks are properly anticipating more and more customers going “off-grid”. Meanwhile, the committee is still considering allegations of price rorting by electricity company Energex.
The inquiry was sparked by an Energex whistleblower’s revelations published in The Courier-Mail last year that it looked into manipulating data to target a higher rate of return. The issues will be discussed in the inquiry’s final report, due by May 5.
Report shows Australia could have 100% renewable energy by 2050
100% Renewable Energy Powered Australia Possible By 2050 http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/renewables-anu-wwf-em4784/ April 22, 2015
Australia has the potential to reach 100% renewables and zero net emissions by 2050 according to a report from Australian National University’s Centre for Climate Economics and Policy.
Commissioned by WWF-Australia, the report’s primary focus is on how deep cuts to Australia’s emissions can be achieved, and at a low cost. An important strategy is boosting uptake of renewables.
The report notes 100% renewable energy can be supplied through utilising existing technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and concentrating solar thermal.
Surplus or deficits in supply could be addressed by molten salt storage associated with solar thermal plants, biomass-fired generators and existing hydropower.
However, a rapid shift to 100% renewables could be problematic in that it would mean early retirement of significant existing power generation assets – and while that may be attractive to many; it’s not going to happen without a massive fight.
“A more gradual transition to a near-zero carbon system, by around 2040, would take advantage of natural asset turnover and be more cost effective, and would be combined with early targeted retirement of Australia’s most emissions intensive power stations. Almost all of Australia’s existing electricity generation assets will be retired before 2050 in any case.”
Going green in such a big way doesn’t mean ‘we’ll all be rooned’.
“Most economic modelling indicates that ambitious mitigation action does not dramatically change the structure of the Australian economy, and that all industries that are growing in the base case,” says the report.
The devil in the detail is policy stability – a devil we’ve become all too familiar with already. The current argy-bargy over Australia’s Renewable Energy Target has seen new investment in large scale renewables practically stall. Local investment in new large-scale renewable energy projects collapsed in 2014 to levels almost 90 per cent lower than the year before.
“The solution is clear: set an ambitious long-term goal for reducing carbon pollution, and take decisive action to make it happen,” said Kellie Caught, WWF-Australia’s National Manager – Climate Change. “That’s the kind of leadership hardworking taxpayers deserve – let’s commit to leaving things better than we found them.”
The report, “Australia Can Cut Emissions Deeply And The Cost Is Low” can be viewed in full here (PDF).
As Abbott govt delays decision on RET, South Africa races ahead with renewable energy
The contrast with South Africa, another coal dependent country, could not be greater. It has so far contracted for more than 5,000MW of large scale wind and solar and announced overnight it would look to install another 6,300MW – much of this solar PV and solar thermal, where it has become a leader in the global market.
developers in WA are confident their projects can go ahead, because of the unique nature of that market, and there are numerous smaller projects that could also get the tick of approval, and finance, if a resolution is found
First 100MW solar plant points to missed opportunity in Australia, REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson on 17 April 2015 In a ceremony attended by the heads of AGL Energy and First Solar, and ministers from the NSW government – but not the federal government – the last and 1,366,380th solar panel was installed on the 102MW Nyngan solar farm in western NSW on Friday.
And while it is a welcome thought that Australia has finally made it onto the big solar map, it also highlights just what could have been for big solar in Australia. Continue reading
New South Wales goes for big solar energy
Baird and Nyngan bask in big solar energy switch http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2015/04/baird-and-nyngan-bask-in-big-solar-energy-switch/ by Julian Bajkowski on April 17, 2015 The Federal government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) may still be in political limbo, but states are voting with their sustainable dollars after New South Wales’ Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts and Minister for the Environment Mark Speakman cut the ribbon on what has been hailed as the installation of the final solar panel at Australia’s largest solar project. Continue reading
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