information for our energy future
information for our energy future
25 May 2009
BHP Billiton has announced it plans to build a new uranium mine at Yeelirrie in Western Australia, anticipated to open in 2014. It is seeking environmental approval in the face of strong community opposition. Sue Lannin for The World Today reported on ABC News that "The Western Australian Government lifted the state's ban on uranium mining in November, and WA Mines Minister, Norman Moore, says the mine will be approved if it meets the government's regulations." The proposed mine will be "the first major uranium mine in Australia in more than 20 years". Source ABC News: Federal Government backs new WA uranium mine
20 May 2009
NSW regulated electricity prices will go up by between 18-21% from 1 July this year after the independent regulator approved the earlier draft determination. The price rises are largely due to the need to fund upgrades to the electricity distribution networks in NSW. Source IPART
30 Oct 2008
Treasury released its modelling on the effects of the planned Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. While there are some industries that will be adversely affected, the modelling shows that the Australian economy will continue to grow and that costs to households will be little more than $7/week. Source Australia's Low Pollution Future: The Economics of Climate Change Mitigation
26 Sep 2008
The Global Carbon Project has just released its Carbon Budget 2007 showing that anthropogenic CO2 emissions have been growing about four times faster since 2000 than during the previous decade, and despite efforts to curb emissions in a number of countries which are signatories of the Kyoto Protocol. Emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel and land use change reached the mark of 10 billion tones of carbon in 2007. Natural CO2 sinks are growing, but more slowly than atmospheric CO2, which has been growing at 2 ppm per year since 2000. This is 33% faster than during the previous 20 years. All of these changes characterize a carbon cycle that is generating stronger climate forcing and sooner than expected. Source Global Carbon Project
19 Sep 2008
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a $100 million Global Institute to speed up the development of carbon capture and storage technology. Through this Institute, the Rudd Government will work with other countries to help reduce the amount of C02 released into the atmosphere. The Government is offering to host the Institute in Australia and would continue to contribute up to $100 million per annum towards its operation. The Institute will aim to accelerate carbon projects through facilitating demonstration projects and identifying and supporting necessary research such as regulatory settings and frameworks. The government has already held informal consultations with industry and foreign governments over a possible model for the Institute. Source Global Carbon Capture and Storage Initiative
05 Sep 2008
Professor Ross Garnaut has released his supplementary draft report on interim targets and trajectories for Australia's emissions trading scheme. The review recommends a target of 550 ppm CO2 by 2050, as a more ambitious target such as 450 or 400 ppm, needs to wait for more widespread engagement by both developed and developing countries. Under the 550 ppm target, Australia should target a 10% reduction of emissions in 2020 from 2000 levels, moving to an 80% reduction by 2050. The price of permits would be about $23 in 2013 rising at an annual rate of 4% above CPI. Source Garnaut Climate Change Review
Report 
Garnaut Review Supplementary Draft Report
13 Aug 2008
WorleyParsons, a major energy engineering company, has announced plans for building a 250 MW solar thermal power plant in Australia. The location for the plant has not yet been decided. Using molten salt to store excess thermal energy, the plant would be able to provide power well after the sun has gone down. If successful, the company says an additional 33 plants could be built by 2020. Source WorleyParson advanced solar thermal presentation
16 Jul 2008
The federal government has released a green paper outlining its approach to an emissions trading scheme. As expected, emissions-intensive trade-exposed businesses such as aluminium, steel and cement industries will get free permits to pollute, and motorists will not carry any extra burden for at least 3 years, during which excise will be adjusted to offset a carbon price. The coal-fired generators will also be compensated with a special package to help offset the cost of carbon. This will be provided through a new mechanism called the Electricity Sector Adjustment Scheme (ESAS). The paper also argues that it is not practical at this stage to include agriculture emissions in the trading scheme at startup, so the government has decided that the earliest that agriculture should enter the scheme would be 2015, with a final decision on inclusion or exclusion to be made in 2013. For scheme caps, its preferred position is to provide a rolling five year cap trajectory, with gateways ten years further out, providing a range of possible trajectories with upper and lower bounds. Source Australian Department of Climate Change
Report Emissions greenpaper: Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
11 Jul 2008
A CSIRO report, Fuel for thought – The future of transport fuels: challenges and opportunities, predicts Australia will be forced to manage its response to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the risk of increasing costly and scarce oil supply simultaneously rather than sequentially. Modelling projected that if international oil supply continues to grow steadily, petrol and diesel prices will experience only a slight rise on present levels. However, if there is a near-term peak in international oil production resulting in declining future oil supplies, petrol prices could increase to between A$2 and as much as A$8 per litre by 2018. Source CSIRO Publications
04 Jul 2008
The draft report into emissions trading by Ross Garnaut has called for a rapid implementation of an emissions trading scheme, which includes transport from the outset, but would phase in agriculture. The draft report does not include the results of the economic modelling, which will be released later. Source Garnaut Climate Change Review