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Most independent federal MPs, such as Kate Chaney and David Pocock, support a cap on credits for big mining companies, a proposal from the Climate Energy Finance think tank. Because the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme delivers billions in benefits to big mining companies, the Minerals Council leads a group of industry lobby groups that oppose any changes to the scheme. Despite a united front in public, the notes from the consultation group meeting suggest that these industry groups are anticipating changes to the scheme. Read more

Tim Buckley discussed AirTrunk’s proposed Kurri data centre, welcoming its proposed $3.7 billion investment, 350 ongoing jobs and community benefits, […] Read more

The announcement this week that the Whyalla Steelworks blast furnace would permanently close with the loss of more than 500 jobs, impacting the entire regional community, was a dark day. It has also been a long time coming. Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance ran this landmark industrial facility into the ground for years, with the South Australian Government accusing GFG Alliance of starving it of investment while defaulting on debts to suppliers and government and on worker entitlements. Read more

Tim Buckley, director of think tank Climate Energy Finance, a member group of Climate Capital Forum, similarly praised the announcement. “Excellent to see Arena funding being accelerated to stimulate early-stage ventures in the critically important cleantech sectors,” Buckley said. “This will incentivise more innovation to progress new ideas and ventures up the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) curve towards commercialisation. Read more

Climate Capital Forum has welcomed the Australian Government’s new Launchpad funding program for early-stage climate and renewable energy startups, announced by ARENA alongside the ‘Australian Built 2026’ climate tech showcase in Canberra today. Read more

An open letter to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Read more

“It is a dark day for Whyalla with the decision to permanently close down the Steelworks’ coal-fired blast furnace impacting more than 500 jobs and hence the entire community of Whyalla. But putting bandaids on an antiquated, beyond end-of-life facility degraded for almost a decade under the watch of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance has proven to be simply a waste of taxpayer funds, a delusion that kicked the can down the road and deferred making hard and timely decisions in the best interests of the workforce, the community and taxpayers. Read more

Tim Buckley, a former investment banker and the director of Climate Energy Finance, said on Monday that “putting Band-Aids on an antiquated, beyond end-of-life facility” had proven to be a waste of taxpayer funds. “The future for Whyalla lies in an electric arc furnace using electricity powered by renewables to produce steel at a fraction of the emissions of coal-fired blast furnaces, and developing the state’s valuable magnetite iron ore resources,” Buckley said. Read more

Hundreds of workers in Whyalla will lose their jobs, with the announcement the blast furnace at the city’s steelworks will permanently shut down. At least 500 workers and 100 contractors are out of a job. The 60-year-old blast furnace had been out of commission since April, and all efforts to fix it had failed. Read more

Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley told MWM, “Putting bandaids on an antiquated, beyond end-of-life facility degraded for almost a decade under the watch of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance has proven to be simply a waste of taxpayer funds.” Buckley says there is still hope, though. “The future for Whyalla lies in an electric arc furnace (EAF) using electricity powered by renewables to produce steel at a fraction of the emissions of coal-fired blast furnaces, and developing the state’s valuable magnetite iron ore resources.” Read more

“South Australia could be well underway on planning for this, and progressing to a final investment decision and into construction on an EAF as a no-regrets first step,” Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley said on Monday. “Putting bandaids on an antiquated, beyond end-of-life facility degraded for almost a decade under the watch of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance has proven to be simply a waste of taxpayer funds, a delusion that kicked the can down the road and deferred making hard and timely decisions in the best interests of the workforce, the community and taxpayers,” Buckley said. Read more

Climate Finance Energy director Tim Buckley said the increase in power demand would need to be matched by investments into new energy generation, which could transform the regional and rural areas. “The beauty of the land grab in the data centre gold rush that’s underway right now is that capital is pouring in,” Mr Buckley said. Read more