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CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Power outage warnings as renewable project delays continue

ABC Radio National The World Today

Tim Buckely told ABC Radio National The World Today, that there is nearly 250GW of renewable energy storage and transmission projects ready to go, and it would only 10-20% of them to deliver reliable energy. However, there is a lack of grid access, details and knowledge from the investors side, which requires our state government to work with the Federal government to accelerate the approval of the key projects that can be delivered in the next 1-2 years view, so we can make sure that the grid stays reliable. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

National energy grid facing summer pressures

ABC Radio National Drive

Tim Buckley told ABC Radio National Drive that the Eraring coal-fired power plants is 43 years old, which is beyond its 40 years life, has created instability of its energy supplies. Australia has been exporting all of its gas and coal and repurchase them from overseas at imported price. The LNP signed off a 2 billion dollars agreement to upgrade Snowy 2.0, as a result there will be 12 billion dollars cost for our taxpayers in 7-8 years. We should not relying on projects like Snowy, but accelerating building battery storage, fast approving solar projects across NSW and Australia to boost energy transition in Australia and protect vulnerable communities to ensure the energy transition can benefit everyone. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Measures to smooth the energy transition path

AusBiz

Tim Buckley from Climate Energy Finance outlines the pressing need for Australian state and federal governments to hasten the implementation of proposed transmission projects and the adoption of renewable energy and storage, in consideration of the August 2023 Electricity Statement of Opportunities. According to Tim, there should be an equitable dispersion of the financial advantages that come from renewable energy projects throughout the impacted communities. Tim expresses optimism about Australia’s latent potential in battery storage technology, asserting the nation’s capacity to significantly contribute to the invention, advancement, and application of ground-breaking batteries. Despite increasing uranium prices, Tim disregards its feasibility in Australia due to insufficient private investment and potential environmental hazards. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Investing in renewables will combat energy supply risk

Canberra Times

Director at think tank Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said urgent action was needed from state and federal governments. “Accelerating the pace of energy transformation and transitioning our grid is critical to ensuring reliable energy supply and solving the current energy crisis,” he said. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Running on empty: Energy regulator warns summer blackouts are ‘significant risk’

InQLD

Director at think tank Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said urgent action was needed from state and federal governments. “The message is clear: accelerating the pace of energy transformation and transitioning our grid is critical to ensuring reliable energy supply and solving the current energy crisis precipitated by the hyperinflation of fossil fuels,” he said. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Old coal clunkers the problem, not the AEMO solution

Michael West Media

Despite alarm in the finance press over the closure of coal plants, according to Tim Buckley, director of independent energy finance think tank Climate Energy Finance “forced outages at Australia’s ageing coal power fleet left the grid short of forecast coal generation capacity for nearly one-quarter of the year.” Keeping Eraring open would close the forecasted reliability gaps, yet there are concerns regarding the capacity of the ageing generator. And the cost to NSW taxpayers says Tim Buckley is likely to be north of $200m a year. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

AEMO releases National Energy Market report

Energy Magazine

Climate Energy Finance Director, Tim Buckley, said that the AEMO’s statement demonstrates that State and Federal Governments must move with urgency to expedite planned transmission projects, utility and distributed renewable energy generation, and storage. “While AEMO’s projections show that in the absence of accelerated delivery some gaps in reliability will arise over the coming decade, this is a result of the retirement of 62 per cent of Australia’s end-of-life coal power clunkers by 2033 – generators that are in any case increasingly unreliable and prone to unplanned outages that impact supply,” Mr Buckley said. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

Investing in renewables will combat energy supply risk

AAP

Director at think tank Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said urgent action was needed from state and federal governments. “Accelerating the pace of energy transformation and transitioning our grid is critical to ensuring reliable energy supply and solving the current energy crisis,” he said. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 31, 2023

AEMO report shows accelerated transition to renewables can offset any electricity reliability gaps

ABC NewsRadio

As Tim Buckley says, AEMO’s new Electricity Statement of Opportunities demonstrates yet again that state and federal governments must move to expedite planned transmission projects, utility and distributed renewable energy generation, and storage, and that notably, any risks to supply can be adequately addressed by renewable energy transition initiatives currently underway. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 26, 2023

Why governments are standing behind ‘coal clunkers’ despite record high power prices

ABC online

Tim Buckley says Origin is simply bowing to the inevitable by shutting Eraring seven years ahead of schedule in August 2025. He says not only is Eraring one of the most exposed power plants to volatile coal prices — if not the most — it is also among the hardest hit by the influx of renewable energy on the system. This is because Eraring — like all ageing coal-fired power plants — needs to run more or less flat out around the clock. But amid a flood of green power — particularly during the middle of the day when solar output was highest — it was having to run despite the daily cratering of prices. “If I go and flood the NSW market with a shedload of solar, that’s going to gut Eraring, it’s going to gut Bayswater because they have zero flexibility,” Buckley says. It was not designed to be flexible. Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 24, 2023

Criticism for proposed Eraring closure delay

___

Tim Buckley told Utility Magazine “the leaked recommendation to extend Eraring’s life ignores the dual cost of living and climate crises smashing the people of New South Wales. The hyperinflation of fossil energy is driving these, handing windfall profits to multinationals as taxpayers and our environment wear the costs. Only an accelerated transition to cheap, deflationary firmed renewables will solve these twin crises.” Read more
CEF in the media  |  Aug 24, 2023

Potential Eraring closure delay receives backlash

Energy Magazine

Director of think tank Climate Energy Finance and author of The Lights will Stay On report on the Eraring closure, Tim Buckley, said that there are leaked reports that the NSW Electricity Supply and Reliability Review will recommend taxpayer subsidies to extend the life of Eraring coal power station beyond its expected closure date. Mr Buckley said that this would be a massive retrograde step, when the exact opposite is needed – implementation of an accelerated transition to firmed renewables. Read more

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