The Productivity Commission has warned of possible political interference in the investment decisions, and former treasurer Wayne Swan described it as a government “slush fund” operated by a board stacked in favour of the mining industry.
Aboriginal group considers appeal over Federal Court decision for lease to Adani coal project
Fed Court decision: Adani leases issued despite Traditional Owners’ express rejection
The Queensland State continues to authorise dispossession http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/fed-court-decision-adani-leases-issued-despite-traditional-owners-express-rejection/, August 25, 2017
“Responding to a Federal Court decision today, in one of the long running cases brought by Traditional Owners against the Adani mine, the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners expressed their profound frustration with the way the native title and court processes have over-ridden their decision to reject an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with Adani.
“The appeal against the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), which authorised the issuing of mining leases to Adani by the Queensland Government, was dismissed. The Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Representative Council are seeking the advice of their senior counsel as to whether to pursue the matter in the High Court. …
“Senior spokesperson for the W&J Traditional Owners Council, Adrian Burragubba, says:
“We have fought and will continue to fight for our right to say no to the destruction of our country
through mining and to have our rights properly recognised and respected by the State Government. …
““We now look to our trial in March 2018 which focuses on Adani’s fake ILUA. We have three times voted No to Adani’s grubby deal. …
“Youth spokesperson for the W&J Traditional Owners Council, Murrawah Johnson, says,
“Adani and the State Government didn’t ‘negotiate’ and achieve the free, prior, informed consent of the W&J people. Instead Adani, backed by the State Government and past NNTT decisions, relied on the threat that they would compulsorily take our land. …
“Legal representative in the case, Benedict Coyne, says,
“Our client is carefully considering the judgement, and prospects of further appeal for special leave to the High Court of Australia.” … “
Anti Adani coal project movement continues, despite Court setback
Court setback for anti-Adani campaign Margaret Gleeson https://www.greenleft.org.au/glw-authors/margaret-gleeson, August 25, 2017 https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/court-setback-anti-adani-campaign
” … While further legal challenges in the High Court are still awaiting decision, the movement in opposition to Adani is growing. Protests have been held in recent weeks in Townsville and Brisbane targetting Adani’s offices and those of likely contractor Downer. Arrests were made.
“The campaign is currently organising a series of summits in Queensland regional centres, Brisbane and Sydney to plan the next steps in the campaign. The focus so far has been on direct action.
This has successfully prevented Adani from securing financial support from the Big Four Banks.
” … as Adani continues to have the support of both the Coalition and Labor, to defeat Adani and put an end to all new coalmines in Australia, mass demonstrations will be needed along with the lobbying, direct action and legal tactics.”
26 August REneweconomy news
Launch of National Smart Energy Training Centre
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For the first time the smart energy sector will have a truly national training strategy.
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NREL’s new look at generation costs: Wind and solar still cheapestNew study on technology generation costs shows wind and solar remain cheapest, with further cost falls ahead.
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Supply crunch casts shadow over Australian solar boomChina’s unexpected 2017 boom in solar PV installation could have an unfortunate impact on the ambitious plans of many in Australia’s surging solar sector – a bottleneck in module supplies and price rises that could impact the huge pipeline of project.
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VSUN edges closer to home storage market for vanadium batteriesAustralian Vanadium says VSUN subsidiary well advanced in negotiations to roll out residential vanadium redox flow battery.
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Vales Point coal plant looks to build 45MW solar farmOwners of Vale Point coal generator looking to build 45MW solar farm on landfill site of now closed coal units.
As climate change intensifies, Australia’s farmers will be hard hit
Climate change will hit our farmers harder and hotter https://www.qt.com.au/news/climate-change-will-hit-our-farmers-harder-and-hot/3216205/ Geoff Egan | 25th Aug 2017 A LEADING commodity trader has warned increasingly common extreme and volatile weather conditions will cause havoc for Queensland’s agricultural producers.
Commodities trader Jonathan Barratt has warned record wet and dry periods will become more common as climate change intensifies and will dramatically impact primary producers.
Mr Barratt said July 2017 was the driest July in 118 years – and as a result of climate change similar records were being set more often.
“The volatility we have experienced in the climate in the last three years has been unprecedented. I have been predicting that climate change will shift regional weather patterns and that adverse events not only occur but be more frequent. Now it’s happening,” he said.
“The combined deficits of rain and higher than normal temperatures in some areas this season have sapped what moisture profiles farmers had and, as some growers close the chequebook on crops, others are contemplating if it is worth adding another layer of costs to an already thirsty crop.”
Mr Barratt’s warning comes just days after University of NSW research found farmland would get drier and cities flood more often under climate change.
The research paper found as global temperatures rise more evaporation would occur from moist soils in farming lands, drying them out quickly. In contrast, urban areas with more limited exposed expanses of soil would retain the moisture and become vulnerable to intense rain events.
UNSW researcher Conrad Wasko said the change was a “double whammy”.
“People are increasingly migrating to cities, where flooding is getting worse. At the same time, we need adequate flows in rural areas to sustain the agriculture to supply these burgeoning urban populations,” he said.
Western Australia Shire of Leonora keen to make money by hosting radioactive trash
Leonora lobbies for nuclear waste dump in its backyard ABC Goldfields By Jarrod Lucas 18 Aug 17 Leonora in WA’s northern Goldfields is putting together a bid for an outback repository to store radioactive waste.
The Federal Government’s decade-long search for a national radioactive waste management facility appears far from over.
This has provided a window of opportunity for the Shire of Leonora to press its case again to host a national repository for waste arising from medical, industrial and scientific use.
Leonora looked to have missed its chance in November 2015 when it was left off a short-list of six sites, five of which have since been ruled out by the government.
On that occasion, the Shire put together a last-minute bid, nominating about 81 hectares of freehold land owned by Councillor Glenn Baker.
An application for an exploration license for a new site, north-west of Leonora, is currently being assessed by multiple State Government departments.
Shire of Leonora president Peter Craig conceded there were no guarantees the new site would receive state approval.
But he said the Council believed the waste dump was an opportunity worth pursuing.
“It’s a long-term prospect – we’re certainly putting ourselves out there there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Craig said. “We feel going forward there’s a lot of opportunities, money to be made.”
….He said the repository would be built underground and the Goldfields mining industry is perfectly placed to build it.
“We’re probably going to have some opposition from the State Government I would imagine, but at the end of the day, the Federal government would more than likely overrule it if the land is in a location which is suitable.”…… http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-18/remote-wa-town-wants-radioactive-waste-dump-in-its-backyard/8821240
Top-secret base Pine Gap might involve Australians in drone strikes on innocent civilians
Fear Pine Gap role could lead to Australian war crime prosecutions, 9 News, By Richard Wood Aug 21, 2017 Australians directing US-led drone strikes from the top-secret base Pine Gap base, near Alice Springs, could face war crime prosecution if innocent civilians are killed.
Australia’s religious leaders unite to oppose Adani coal mine expansion
The Adani coalmine will hasten a climate catastrophe. As faith leaders, we must act
A Buddhist leader has told environment minister Josh Frydenberg he would stand in front of machinery if digging started. All people of faith should join him, Guardian, Jonathan Keren-Black and Tejopala Rawls, 23 Aug 17
Earlier in August, six faith leaders met Australia’s environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg. Our group included Bishop Philip Huggins, the president of the National Council of Churches, a Uniting Church reverend, a rabbi, a Catholic nun and an ordained Buddhist. This is not the start of a joke, but a polite and serious exchange.
It might seem that religion has little to do with the environment or energy. Yet each of us at the meeting wanted to raise a matter that, when we consider the deepest values of our respective traditions, is of grave moral concern: the proposed Adani coalmine. We were there to ask the minister to revoke its environmental licence.
The delegation reminded the minister that a number of faith leaders from across Australia wrote him an open letter about it on 5 May, to which he had not yet replied.
Around the world a great many people of faith are deeply concerned about the climate crisis. Continue reading
Economists find the Finkel Clean Energy Target plan ‘better than nothing’
Finkel’s Clean Energy Target plan ‘better than nothing’: economists poll The Conversation, Director, Carbon and Energy Markets., Victoria University, August 25, 2017 Few topics have attracted as much political attention in Australia over the past decade as emissions reduction policy.Amid mounting concern over electricity price increases across Australia and coinciding with blackouts in South Australia and near-misses in New South Wales, the Australian government asked Chief Scientist Alan Finkel to provide a blueprint for reform of the electricity industry, in a context in which emissions reduction policy was an underlying drumbeat.
In a new poll of the ESA Monash Forum of leading economists, a majority said that Finkel’s suggested Clean Energy Target was not necessarily a better option than previously suggested policies such as an emissions trading scheme. But many added that doing nothing would be worse still.
Read more: The Finkel Review: finally, a sensible and solid footing for the electricity sector.
The Finkel Review’s terms of reference explicitly precluded it from advising on economy-wide emissions reduction policy, and implicitly required it also to reject emission reduction policies such as an emissions tax or cap and trade scheme.
One of the Finkel Review’s major recommendations was a Clean Energy Target (CET). This is effectively an extension of the existing Renewable Energy Target to cover power generation which has a greenhouse gas emissions intensity below a defined hurdle. Such generation can sell certificates which electricity retailers (and directly connected large customers) will be required to buy.
The ESA Monash Forum panel was asked to consider whether this approach was “preferable” to an emission tax or cap and trade scheme. As usual, responses could range from strong disagreement to strong agreement with an option to neither agree nor disagree. Twenty-five members of the 53-member panel voted, and most added commentary to their response – you can see a summary of their verdicts below [on original], and their detailed comments at the end of this article.
A headline result from the survey is that a large majority of the panel does not think the CET is preferable to a tax or cap and trade scheme. None strongly agreed that the CET was preferable, whereas 16 either disagreed or strongly disagreed, and four agreed……..https://theconversation.com/finkels-clean-energy-target-plan-better-than-nothing-economists-poll-82066
Coal in decline: an industry on life support. Where does this leave Adani project?
Australia now exports about 200m tonnes. Adani project is, by any measure, a massive expansion that could push the world measurably closer to breaching the goals of the Paris climate agreement……
“The [Adani Carmichael coal] project is not on the radar, not expected to happen, immaterial for India’s energy plans given the progressive move away from imported thermal coal and just unbankable for Indian banks given excessive Adani group debt.”
Coal in decline: Adani in question and Australia out of step Special report: India and China are shifting away from coal imports and coal-fired power while a mega-mine is planned for Queensland. Where does this leave coal in Australia?
Coal in decline: an industry on life support, Guardian, by Adam Morton , 24 Aug 17, The Paris-based International Energy Agency ……suggested investment in new coal power across the globe has peaked and is on the verge of a steep decline. In a coinciding media briefing, the IEA chief economist, Laszlo Varro, declared the “century of coal” that started in 2000 – evident in the extraordinary wave of investment by emerging Asian nations – may already be over.
Energy Minister Frydenberg stalling on decision about $110m Port Augusta solar thermal funds?
Frydenberg calls for advice on $110m Port Augusta solar thermal funds, REneweconomy
By Giles Parkinson on 24 August 2017, Federal energy minister Josh Frydenberg says he will ask the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency (IPFA) for advice on the government’s promised $110 million equity investment in a solar thermal plant in Port Augusta.
In a statement late Thursday, Frydenberg said he had written to SolarReserve asking for details about the proposal to spend $650 million building a 150MW solar tower plant with molten salt storage near the shuttered coal plants outside of Port Augusta.
“Solar thermal plants operate in a similar way to traditional fossil fuel power plants with steam spinning a conventional turbine, which means they can contribute to network stability and reliability when coupled with built-in storage,” Frydenberg noted.
A contract signed between SolarReserve and the South Australian government promises a price cap of $78/MWh for all the state government’s electricity needs, but the price is dependent on SolarReserve accessing the cheap equity on offer from the federal government.
That offer – made by both mainstream parties in the lead up to the last election – was reinforced in the federal budget by the Turnbull government as part of a tax policy deal with Senator Nick Xenophon.
However, the funds had yet to be allocated to any project. ARENA was tasked with seeking expressions of interest on the solar thermal funding for Port Augusta, but did not call for detailed proposals…..
“ARENA and the CEFC have a strong track record in supporting the commercialisation of emerging technologies and will use that expertise to take solar thermal to the next level in Australia,” he said in a statement.
The IPFA advises the Federal government on funding and financing solutions for nationally significant infrastructure across all sectors, including energy. http://reneweconomy.com.au/frydenberg-calls-for-advice-on-110m-port-augusta-solar-thermal-funds-54190/
Bank calls for more transparency on Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility’s $5b loan scheme
‘More transparency needed’: Bank questions secrecy of $5b loan scheme, Newcastle Herald, 24 Aug 2017 A $5 billion infrastructure loan scheme derided as a secretive Turnbull government slush fund has attracted further criticism – this time from a major bank.
National Australia Bank – whose own industry is plagued by claims it is opaque and untrustworthy – has raised concerns that the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, a controversial government loan scheme designed to kickstart private sector investment in the north, lacks transparency.
NAB also warned that the fund was taking a “lender of last resort” approach that may not provide the economic shot-in-the-arm that Northern Australia requires.
The bank’s concern adds to a chorus of complaint that the much-vaunted infrastructure fund, which headlined the 2015 federal budget, is cloaked in secrecy, lacks governance and exposes taxpayers to a high risk of losing their money.
South Australia calls for Federal Govt loan for Port Augusta solar plant
Premier Jay Weatherill calls on Federal Government to provide $110m loan for $650m Port Augusta solar plant, Adam Langenberg, Luke Griffiths, The AdvertiserAugust 23, 2017 PREMIER Jay Weatherill has dared the Federal Government to block a $110 million loan banked on to finance Port Augusta’s $650 million solar thermal plant……
Mr Frydenberg was in Whyalla on Wednesday as he launched a $30 million battery storage facility on the Yorke Peninsula, as revealed by The Advertiser yesterday.
He said it would play an important role in securing South Australia’s electricity network.
Less than two months after the State Government announced its deal with US billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla, Mr Frydenberg unveiled plans that would see the Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency fund up to 40 per cent of a 30MW, 8MW/h battery.
Electranet will design and build the battery before leasing out its commercial operation to a yet-to-be-decided energy retailer.
To be located at Dalrymple — one of the electricity network’s “weak points”, according to Mr Frydenberg — it is expected to be connected to the grid by February 2018.
The Tesla battery, to be located in Jamestown, will be 100MW, 129MW/h.
“We don’t claim to have the biggest battery or the biggest system, what we do claim is to be putting in place practical, cost-effective, needed policy solutions and practical solutions to the challenges SA faces,” Mr Frydenberg said prior to presenting at the Global Maintenance Upper Spencer Gulf conference in Whyalla…….
In his speech, Mr Koutsantonis declared the Upper Spencer Gulf an economic participation region under the State Government’s industry participation policy.
Local businesses will now be given a 20 per cent weighting when vying for public project work.
“We have seen how successful this policy has been since it was implemented in northern Adelaide and now we want to replicate those achievements in the Upper Spencer Gulf,” he said. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/premier-jay-weatherill-calls-on-federal-government-to-provide-110m-loan-for-650m-port-augusta-solar-plant/news-story/40c4bb6cffce77e1c2cf0f5816fd1334
Victoria’s smart renewable energy policy
Victorian government generates smart policy to drive surge in renewable energy, http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/victorian-government-generates-smart-policy-to-drive-surge-in-renewable-energy-20170823-gy2he1.html The transition from coal-generated electricity to renewable energy is inevitable and crucial. Science has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that carbon emissions from coal and gas are a primary cause of dangerous global warming and climate change.One of the main financial burdens on Australian families and businesses in recent years has been the sharp increase in the price of electricity, which has been driven by a surge in gas prices, and, many contend, by over-investment in transmission infrastructure – poles and wires – by power companies. Another key reason is the lack of investment in renewable energy, which is becoming increasingly competitive even with the cheap coal that still provides most of our baseload electricity.
The main reason investment in renewable energy has slowed is political; a lack of policy consistency and the perplexing anti-renewables stance of former Coalition prime minister Tony Abbott undermined confidence by generating uncertainty. Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions rose in the March quarter by 1.6 per cent, the biggest rise in almost a decade, making it all the more difficult for the country to meet its international commitments.
So the Victorian government’s decision to provide some certainty is welcome, and should help lead to affordable, reliable renewable energy. The government is asking green energy companies to tender for a contract to supply 650 megawatts of power, which is sufficient to meet the demand of every household in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and the Latrobe Valley. The move comes a month after the government announced new battery storages that can deliver four hours of power to two regional Victorian towns of 100,000 people, and two solar farms to power Melbourne’s entire tram network, the world’s biggest.
The measures are fundamental to achieving the state government’s renewable energy targets of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025. At the moment, about a 10th of the state’s power comes from renewable sources. The policy is all the more necessary following the recent closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power station, which provided more than a fifth of Victoria’s electricity.
Enough renewable power for Victoria’s 4 biggest regional cities
Renewable energy boost to power Victoria’s four biggest regional cities, The Age, Adam Carey, 23 Aug 17, In a huge boost to Victoria’s electricity supply, renewable energy companies will compete to supply Victoria with 650 megawatts of power – enough for the energy needs of every household in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and the Latrobe Valley.
The competitive “reverse auction” will be the biggest of its kind in Australia, as corporations tender for the contracts to power 389,000 households. This is expected to trigger investment of about $1.3 billion in renewable projects such as construction of wind and solar farms.
Expressions of interest will open in October.
The projects are critical to the government’s target to increase Victoria’s renewable energy level to 40 per cent by 2025.
The government will seek to lock in its renewable energy target – 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025 – by tabling legislation today. Currently about 10 per cent of the state’s power needs are met with renewable sources.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he was confident the legislation would pass…….
Energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said modelling indicated households would save $30 a year on energy bills on average, and large companies would save $140,000 a year, over the life of the renewable energy target scheme.
“We know for a fact that more supply, in a pure economics 101 sense, means cheaper prices and that’s what we’ll be delivering,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“We are getting solar projects built, we’ve already got two wind farms under way … so the sooner we can get that in there, the sooner people will see that flow through their energy bills,” she said…..
Kane Thornton, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, said the government’s move to legislate its “ambitious” 40 per cent target would give the renewable energy industry more confidence to invest in Victoria.
“It will deliver billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs into regional and rural parts of this state and help to put Victoria back on the map in terms of attracting investment back into this sector,” Mr Thornton said.
He predicted renewable energy would “ultimately replace coal-fired generation” in Victoria, although Ms D’Ambrosio said coal would continue to help power the state for “many years to come”…..http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/renewable-energy-boost-to-power-victorias-four-biggest-regional-cities-20170822-gy22gs.html
25 August REneweconomy news
- 100% renewable energy for 139 nations detailed in new Stanford report
Mark Z. Jacobson and 26 of his colleagues have compiled a report that shows exactly how 139 nations could transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050 without throwing millions of people out of work.
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Australia urged to aim for 100% renewables by 2030sAs climate impacts mounts, there is a growing push for a 1.5°C target. This would mean reaching 100% renewable energy within 20 years. Australia could lead, and reap enormous economic benefits.
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Neoen may expand Vic solar farm to 126MW after tram tender winNeoen says it may treble size of its Nurmukah solar project off back of Victoria government tender win.
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Infigen eyes commercial and industrial sector for new renewablesInfigen Energy reports a jump in profit for FY2107, as the company continues its transformation into an “active energy markets participant.”
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Victoria leads, Federal government leans on energy transitionYesterday was an historic day for Victoria’s energy future. And there’s more good news on the way. Not that you would know it from listening to federal energy minister.
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AEMC suggests new body to decide on battery storage standardsAs industry rejects Standards Australia home battery ban proposal, AEMC calls for new body to govern standards for distributed energy market.
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Windlab to receive $10 million milestone success payment in respect of the Coopers Gap Wind FarmWindlab has become entitled to receive a milestone success payment of just over $10 million in respect of the Coopers Gap Wind Farm.
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Rethinking the grid: Changes in power sector are an opportunity, not a threatThe Department of Energy’s study on grid reliability and resilience offers an incomplete picture of our grid’s transformation.
1 This month.
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 