Media

The false dichotomy of distributed small-scale versus utility-scale renewables, coupled with the nuclear and CCS furphies, is the latest chapter in the Coalition’s efforts to stymie and repoliticise Australia’s energy transition. As Andrew Forrest succinctly put it at his National Press Club address this week: “If we swallow this new lie that we should stop the rollout of green energy and that nuclear energy will be our fairy godmother, we will be worse off again.” Read more

A new report from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has found that a fleet of EVs used to supply Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) to the National Energy Market (NEM) could generate revenue of up to $12,000 per vehicle in a single year. Tim Buckley from Climate Energy Finance says the new study’s findings can’t be overstated. Read more

According to Climate Energy Finance founder and director Tim Buckley, “A full rollout of solar on schools and early childhood centres would be the largest renewables project in Australia’s history, providing distribution-level grid stability opportunities, particularly as battery systems become more cost competitive.” “The rooftop solar potential of the early childhood and school sectors should be a key part of the national effort to at least treble the existing 20 GW of cumulative rooftop solar capacity to the 60GW target for the NEM by 2040 (and 85GW by 2050 or 100GW including Western Australia and the Northern Territory) as modelled in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan,” he added. Read more

Hydrogen electrolyser manufacturers are staring into the valley of death, as the hype-fuelled valuations of 2021 and high hopes of the hydrogen economy come crashing down around their ears. Last week, two of the most notable electrolyser technology developers – Plug Power and Bloom Energy Corp – revealed the depth of their problems as they try to achieve massive scale while improving and reducing the cost of the technologies they are developing. “The electrolyser manufacturing sector is going through a massive learning-by-doing as they’re flying the plane,” says Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley. Read more

Queensland is poised to become Australia’s renewable energy “superpower” after unveiling a $570 million battery industry investment. Think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF) said Queensland was becoming the nation’s “cleantech leader”. “The battery strategy is further evidence that Queensland is not just undergoing an energy transition but a complete transformation from a legacy coal and gas petrostate to a renewable energy and critical minerals superpower,” CEF director Tim Buckley said. Read more

In an interview with SBS Chinese, Xuyang Dong, an energy analyst at the independent think tank Climate Energy Finance, explained that China’s large-scale production capabilities enable it to occupy the “most dominant” position in the global new energy supply chain. “China mass-produces cheap components and then exports cheap, high-quality solar cells.” Dong believes that the rapid development of China’s photovoltaic industry cannot be separated from strong and clear policy promotion. Although Australia cannot deploy the new energy industry through similar “hard planning”, it can also implement policies to guide industrial development. Read more

Boards of banks and fossil fuel companies often share independent, non-executive directors. But with the need to transition to a lower carbon economy, experts are concerned about how these connections may be affecting progress. Tim Buckley comments for The Banker supplement in FT. Read more

The St George & Sutherland Shire Leader reports a preschool at Oyster Bay has ‘gone green’ for the environment. The Point Preschool has installed rooftop solar to keep energy bills down. Preschool Director Catherine Lee says the centre’s power bills have been in negative territory since installing a large system in 2023. The NSW Government is piloting a program in state schools to install air conditioning powered by rooftop solar, but the support isn’t being stretched to the early childhood sector, Climate Energy Finance Founder and Director Tim Buckley, said. Read more

Queensland is poised to become Australia’s renewable energy “superpower” after unveiling a $570 million battery industry investment. Premier Steven Miles on Thursday announced the multimillion dollar strategy that is forecast to contribute $1.3 billion to the economy and create 9100 jobs by 2030. Think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF) said Queensland was becoming the nation’s “cleantech leader”. “The battery strategy is further evidence that Queensland is not just undergoing an energy transition but a complete transformation from a legacy coal and gas petrostate to a renewable energy and critical minerals superpower,” CEF director Tim Buckley said. Read more

Queensland is not just undergoing an energy transition, but a complete transformation from a legacy petrostate to a renewable energy superpower. Its staggering momentum has lessons for other states and the federal government. The state is a case study on the catalysing impact of public capital expenditure in “crowding-in” private investment to energy transition. As Climate Energy Finance’s new report released this week details, Queensland’s nation-leading investment in transmission, large-scale low-cost renewable energy and consumer energy resources (CERs) is resulting in a tidal wave of public and private capital. Read more

With Laura Tingle on ABC TV’s 7.30, Tim Buckley supports calls by Rod Sims and Ross Garnaut of The Superpower Institute for the federal government to leverage Australia’s generational opportunity be become a zero-emissions trade and investment leader – and for a Carbon Solutions Levy to invest in the clean energy transition. Read more

New research from independent think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF) has found that Queensland is leading the nation in the transition to renewable, clean power, having made transformational investments in transmission, large-scale, low-cost renewable energy and Consumer Energy Resources (CER). Interestingly, the revamp has offered regional Queensland new opportunities as well – CEF believes the Sunshine State is on the precipice of leaving behind its legacy of coal and gas and becoming a clean tech superpower with the minerals and renewable energy needed to service the global push to decarbonisation. Read more