A fire-sale is underway as the punch-drunk nuclear power industry tries to stop the rot. - Australia should lead world in 'clean coal', International Energy Agency says. - CSIRO says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy. - China’s BYD launches new battery storage products in Australian market - Australia could be the "energy capital of Asia" but instead it is going backwards - Philanthropists and corporates called on to help save threatened species - The heads of some of the nation’s biggest companies have blasted the chaotic state of the power grid. - Australian coal 'risks being caught out' by Trump climate U-turn.
Nuclear
power’s rapidly accelerating crisis
A fire-sale is underway as the punch-drunk nuclear power industry tries to stop
the rot.
Australia
should lead world in 'clean coal', International Energy Agency says
The executive director of the International Energy Agency calls on Australia to
become a world leader in carbon capture and storage technology.
CSIRO
says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy
CSIRO says no technical barriers to 100% renewables, and levels of up to 30%
should be considered “trivial” as other energy experts reject conservative
attachment to “baseload” fossil fuels.
China’s
BYD launches new battery storage products in Australian market
China EV and energy storage giant BYD unveils new line of modular battery
systems, targeting Australian households and businesses.
Shorten
goes on front foot over renewables 50% ‘target’
Australia could be the "energy capital of Asia" but instead it is
going backwards, Bill Shorten will say in a speech on Thursday.
Philanthropists
and corporates called on to help save threatened species
Businesses and philanthropists have been asked to partner with the federal
government in a new approach to save Australia’s threatened species with the
launch of a new prospectus.
‘Power
policies to destroy jobs’
The heads of some of the nation’s biggest companies have blasted the chaotic
state of the power grid.
Australian
coal 'risks being caught out' by Trump climate U-turn
The president could spring a surprise with a carbon price, making renewables
cheaper, US Republican warns.
Don't
mind the coal: Electricity prices are going up regardless
Coalition
not interested in coal, just stopping new wind and solar
Coalition isn’t really interested in funding new coal fired power stations, it
wants to destroy investment in renewable energy and agencies responsible for
driving the transition away from coal.
Crisis
of trust – energy businesses turn to local partnerships
Mistruths that have shaken public trust in energy companies and our politicians.
That's why many are turning to trusted local partnerships.
Australia’s
2016 environment scorecard: rains return but in some cases too late
Rain made a welcome comeback to Australia in 2016 after several years of
deepening drought. But Tasmania and the Top End were among several places that
did not fare so well.
Playing
politics with renewables: how the right is losing its way
This summer has seen a concerted attack on renewable energy coming out of
Canberra, featuring everyone from One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts to
Coalition ministers channelling the far right of their party.
Energy
policy should be bipartisan
Australia's energy sector has been mired in politics for too long. It's time
for governments to set aside short-term point scoring and act in the national
interest.
Ban
ends 40-year gas supply
A Victorian ban on gas exploration would cut reserves big enough to supply
the nation’s east coast for almost 40 years.
Solar
homes to help avert blackouts
A Melbourne software firm wants to offer more money to solar households to
entice them to help stabilise the grid and prevent blackouts.
Our
energy supply safe during NSW heatwave
AUSTRALIA’S energy market operator has denied reports Victoria’s supply was at
risk during a heatwave in New South Wales this month.
Carbon
capture is the new black
Possibly the biggest power storage solution of them all has been moving ahead
in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, largely unheralded.
Power
plant outages 'contributed to overloading scare during NSW heatwave'
Australia's energy operator finds power plant failures contributed to the
unprecedented pressure on the New South Wales electricity grid during this
month's heatwave.
NSW
heatwave: Another catalogue of fossil fuel power failures
Market operator report into NSW heatwave shows once again that it is failing
fossil fuel plants that is putting energy security at risk.
BHP
considers coal expansion
BHP Billiton says it could develop more Queensland coking coalmines.
Region
the ‘forefront of renewables’
THE Western Downs is turning from gas to solar to power the next wave of
economic success in the region.
Sunny
outlook as new hub powers forward
A FORMER Far North mine site turned renewable energy hub is set to generate
electricity by late this year.
Regional
South Australian site ideal for storing renewables in pumped hydro
A desert site at the top of Spencer Gulf in South Australia is perfect for a
pumped hydro venture, which would use sea water to make a power station of up
to 200-megawatts, EnergyAustralia says.
Companies
vying for renewable energy funding in South Australia
A number of companies are vying for renewable energy funds for proposed
projects in South Australia as national debate rages over the state's lack of
power security.
Ridiculous
reason for the blackout
The power cut to 90,000 customers during a heatwave earlier this month could
have been avoided had the energy market operator used publicly available Bureau
of Meteorology weather forecasts.
How
South Australia can function reliably while moving to 100% renewable power
Some short- and medium-term strategies for transitioning to renewable, reliable
and affordable energy in South Australia.
Storage
is key to power crisis solutions
IF South Australians realised how straightforward the engineering solutions to
our power crisis are, they’d probably choke on their morning coffee.
Is
there more to the Antarctic's melting glaciers than just warmer temperatures?
An Australian team of international scientists is
hoping to discover whether meltwater is speeding up the disintegration of the
Antarctic's glaciers.
In
the era of Trump, how should conservatives fight climate change?
Bob Inglis was a Republican Congressman who once thought climate change was
"nonsense" for the "other tribe". Now, he's on a mission in
Australia to convince conservatives to fight for the environment.
The herald of
sea-level rise
Researcher Nicole Hernandez Hammer realized that the people who most need to
know about sea-level rise weren’t getting information about it. She set out to
change that.
Trump can save his
presidency with a great deal to save the climate
Donald Trump is a deal maker, and there’s a great deal to be made on climate
change.
How to fight
climate change without Washington
In terms of energy, Massachusetts was already planning for a Trump presidency
way back in 2008.
Coal plants keep
closing on Trump's watch
Even as President Trump and his congressional allies pursue a rollback of
Obama-era environmental regulations in Washington, coal plants continue to
close.
Reduction
of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions: promotion or steering?
Policy interventions to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions
have a variety of effects on the economy and on households. A study has
provided the first detailed impact assessment.
Dream of energy-collecting
windows is one step closer to reality
Discovery could lower cost and expand possibilities for building-integrated
solar energy collection.
US offshore wind push
Researchers show US grid can handle more offshore wind power, cutting pollution
and power costs.
Inside the race to build
the battery of tomorrow
The battery might be the least sexy piece of technology ever invented. The lack
of glamour is especially conspicuous on the lower floors of MIT’s materials
science department, where one lab devoted to building and testing the next
world-changing energy storage device could easily be mistaken for a storage
closet.
Saudi
Arabia makes first steps in 10GW renewable energy rollout
Saudi Arabia makes first steps in 10GW renewable energy rollout, as India solar
auction produces record low bids.
California
senate pushes for 100% renewable energy by 2045
California Senate leader introduces 100% renewable energy bill by 2045,
competing with Hawaii for most aggressive renewable energy mandate in US.
Uncertainty
perception drives public's trust, mistrust of science
Assumptions tied to which sciences people believe should be funded.
What
happens when the soy and palm oil boom ends?
Anew agricultural economics book that looks at the past, present, and future of
soy, oil palm and other tropical oilseeds.
Economic
growth the greatest threat to humanity
Economic growth is the greatest threat to humanity today, and those most
devoted to economic growth will, as its consistent performance begins to wane
in the future, perhaps be the greatest political threat to ordinary people of
the world
‘They
have a dog in this fight’
Premier Jay Weatherill rejects concerns from South Australia’s biggest
employer, BHP Billiton, about its ongoing viability in the state.
Trump
wants to expand nuclear arsenal
US President Donald Trump says he wants to expand the US nuclear arsenal.
Radioactive
boars could cause supply issues for Czech Republic delicacy
A cold, snowy winter is forcing wild boars to feed on false truffles in the
Czech Republic, which have absorbed high levels of a radioactive isotope as a
result of the Chernobyl disaster.
How
nuclear safety undermines nuclear economics
Failed EPR and AP1000 reactor projects have brought giant energy companies to
their knees, and even pro-nuclear lobbyists now acknowledge that the industry
is in crisis. Jim Green, editor of the Nuclear Monitor newsletter, takes stock
of the crisis in the global nuclear sector and concludes that the industry’s
likely response, a retreat from post-Fukushima efforts to strengthen safety
standards, risks making a bad situation worse.
Australia
becomes more energy efficient
Australian households became more energy efficient in 2014-15, according to the
latest edition of the annual Energy Account released by the Australian Bureau
of Statistics (ABS).
Shorten
attacks Coalition for energy “vandalism”, affirms 50% target
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has accused the Coalition government of policy
vandalism on energy, and committed to an emissions intensity scheme that he
insists will deliver Labor’s target of 50 per cent renewables in the country’s
electricity system by 2030.
California’s
SimpliPhi latest to plug into Australian battery storage market
As regulators consider strict new guidelines for Australian home battery
installations, US battery maker SimpliPhi is making its move, keen to promote the
key strengths of its proprietary technology – safety, reliability and
flexibility.
German
battery maker Sonnen offers “free power” for slice of Australian electricity
market
German battery maker Sonnen hopes to use its new solar and storage “free”
electricity deal to muscle in on Australia’s peaking power market.
China’s
BYD seeks 25% share of Australia’s battery storage market
China’s biggest electric vehicle and battery storage company, BYD, is looking
to grab a 25 per cent share of Australia’s burgeoning battery storage market,
after launching a new B-Box product range aimed at competing with industry
leaders LG Chem and Tesla.
Australian
consortim launches world-first digital energy marketplace for rooftop solar
Pilot program will allow homeowners to tap into a network of ‘virtual’ power
stations made up of smart grids of rooftop solar and batteries.
The
renewable energy target explained
The Federal Government's renewable energy target has proved a headache for
Malcolm Turnbull, but what exactly is the RET and what is it hoped to achieve?
Qantas
chief urges energy action
Qantas chief Alan Joyce has added to business calls for greater certainty of
energy supply and pricing.
Green
Investment Bank: Australian bidder woos MPs as protests continue
Macquarie insists it is committed to renewable energy – but critics say it
could invest in fossil fuels if its bid succeeds.
Australia
expected to sizzle through record-breaking autumn - after hottest summer ever
Australia is expected to sizzle through a hot and dry autumn after one of the
hottest summers ever, as the Bureau of Meteorology predict further heatwaves
across the country.
Power
retailers pay $130m in penalties rather than meet RET requirements
Electricity retailers ERM Power and Alinta Energy opt to pay more than $130
million in penalties, rather than meeting their renewable energy obligations,
raising fresh questions about the Renewable Energy Target.
Solar
power 'cheaper than fossil fuels in most capital cities'
Solar energy is now cheaper in Australia than retail power prices in most
capital cities after dropping 58 per cent in the past five years, the Climate
Council says.
'Going
gangbusters': the new way to beat power costs
State of solar 2016: globally and in
Australia
This new report finds that the solar rollout will continue to go gangbusters
this year, with more than twenty industrial-scale installations set to go ahead
across the country, and another...
The
terrible consequences of the Coalition's inaction on climate
It's been a lost decade on climate action and we know the ones who lost it for
us.
Lights
out on energy policy
Why
won't government understand there's no such thing as clean coal?
Victorian
Government was 'not prepared' to accept power cuts to help NSW
The Victorian Government says it told the national energy operator "under
no circumstances" could it cut power to regional centres in order to keep
New South Wales operating during a recent heatwave
Alumina
chief blasts energy costs
Alumina and partner Alcoa have written down their stake in the Portland
aluminium smelter in Victoria by $163.7m.
Victorian
fury over plan to prioritise NSW
Vic
wants answers on national power grid
The Victorian government wants to know how the nation's energy market operator
deals with extreme weather events.
Climate change social research: summary
of key findings
Document summaries the key topline findings from the research into current
community attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and expectations of government in the
area of climate change.
Gas-fired
power plants failed during NSW heatwave, report reveals
Market regulator urgently requested aluminium smelter reduce electricity use as
demand surged alongside temperatures.
Hunter
Valley mine expansion rejected fourth time
A major Hunter Valley mine expansion, Anglo American's Drayton South project,
is rejected for the fourth time amid concerns it poses too many risks to the
environment.
Coral
bleaching on Great Barrier Reef could be normal within 20 years
As new evidence of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef emerges,
scientists warn the temperatures that caused last year's devastating coral
die-off will be commonplace within decades.
Coal
company silenced farmers with confidentiality clauses
New Hope, the company behind the New Acland coal mine on Queensland's Darling
Downs, is silencing nearby farmers in signed agreements, an environmentalist
says.
Wivenhoe
pumped hydro: the big little plant that didn’t
Queenslanders would pay much less for power if the generation sector was split
up. The use, or non-use, of the Wivenhoe pumped hydro storage facility
illustrates why.
Albany
wave power plan 'a good opportunity', renewables firm says
Renewables company Carnegie Clean Energy confirms it is interested in
developing WA Labor's proposal for a wave power farm in Albany, in Western
Australia's Great Southern Region.
McGowan
backs $20m ‘world first’ wave farm at Albany
Mark McGowan has unveiled plans to plough almost $20 million into building the
world’s first commercial wave farm off Albany on WA’s south coast.
Air pollution
may have masked mid-20th century sea ice loss
Humans may have been altering Arctic sea ice longer than previously thought,
according to researchers studying the effects of air pollution on sea ice
growth in the ...
Low snowpacks of 2014, 2015
may become increasingly common
Oregon experienced very low snowpack levels in 2014 and historically low snowpack
levels in 2015; now a new study suggests that these occurrences may not be
anomalous in the future and could become much more common if average
temperatures warm just two degrees (Celsius).
Climate
scientists face harassment, threats and fears of 'McCarthyist attacks'
Researchers will have to deal with attacks from a range of powerful foes in
the coming years – and for many, it has already started.
How a
Pacific island changed from diesel to 100% solar power
The island of Ta'u in American Samoa now boasts a solar microgrid from Tesla's
SolarCity
This is what 4
million solar panels look like from space
On the Tibetan Plateau in eastern China, 4 million solar panels silently soak
up the sun as part of the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park. It’s the largest solar
farm in the world, spreading over 10 square miles of the high desert landscape.
India using coal tax money to
fund renewable energy projects
India has a goal of quadrupling the amount of electricity it generates from
renewable sources to 175 gigawatts by 2022.
Fracking
led to more than 6,000 spills in 10 years, study finds
A new study looks at fracking sites in four states, finding 6,648 spills
between 2005 and 2014. Their research, the study's authors say, highlights a
need for better data collection – and may help prevent
future incidents.
Brace
for the oil, food and financial crash of 2018
Welcome to a new age of permanent economic recession driven by ongoing dependence
on dirty, expensive, difficult oil… unless we choose a fundamentally different
path.
Wooden
'plyscrapers' challenge concrete and steel
High-rise wooden buildings, led by "The Tree", a 52.8 meter (173
feet) apartment block in Norway, are claiming a place on city skylines as the timber
industry challenges the supremacy of concrete and steel
Liquid
hydrogen may be way forward for sustainable air travel
Transport makes up around 20 percent of our energy use around the world--and
that figure is set to grow, according to the International Energy Agency.
Light-driven
reaction converts carbon dioxide into fuel
Duke University researchers have developed tiny nanoparticles that help
convert carbon dioxide into methane using only ultraviolet light as an
energy source.
Climate-friendlier
air conditioning chemicals hard to find, study shows
Replacing HFCs as a coolant is the goal of a global accord, but so far, economical
alternatives all show some flaws.
Chennai
oil spill: A disaster that’s still unfolding
The inadequate response to the oil spill off the coast of Chennai raises
questions of accountability.
President Trump
takes aim at the environment
Invoking a false argument about saving “many thousands” of jobs, the president
has again retreated from responsibility.
Deep
sea life faces dark future due to warming and food shortage
New study reveals negative impact of climate change, human activity, acidification
and deoxygenation on ocean and its creatures.
'Doomsday
vault': 50,000 additions for global life insurance
TUCKED away beneath the ice in a secure Arctic location is humanity’s largest
insurance policy. It’s just been given its biggest upgrade yet.
Six
biodiversity hotspots claimed to be on brink of ecosystem collapse
A study has claimed to identify the six marine biodiversity hotspots that are
the most at risk of ecosystem collapse in the world due to climate change and overfishing,
but the validity of the study has been questioned
Climate
change doubles size of northern lakes, pushes bison off habitat
New research suggests that climate change has mysteriously caused lakes
in a northern protected area to nearly double in size, forcing a herd of
at-risk bison off some of their best habitat.