Media

Climate and energy experts criticised a $137 million federal grant to BlueScope Steel for a $1.15 billion upgrade of its Port Kembla blast furnace – extending coal-based steelmaking for two decades – as a missed chance to spur more ambitious carbon reductions. The Climate Capital Forum, which represents investors, decarbonisation firms and policy experts, said that “while Australia procrastinates, developed world leaders are pivoting”. Read more

Blair Palese, Founder, Climate Capital Forum comments on the Coalition’s campaign to suspend investment in decarbonisation , calling it “reckless and short sighted”. Read more

Clean Energy Finance director Tim Buckley says extensive community consultation, including with landholders, communities and First Nations peoples must be central to planning for the rollout of renewables. But “so should pivoting policy momentum and public capital to our massive, once in a century opportunity to establish Australia as a renewable energy and zero-emissions trade and investment superpower. Read more

Tim Buckley speaks to Charging Sessions podcast about the energy and eMobility transition Read more

“The result is that China has a dramatically larger capacity to export solar modules as 2024 and 2025 unfold, and the resulting global oversupply is pushing [solar] module prices down dramatically,” said Tim Buckley, Sydney-based director of Climate Energy Finance. China’s export prices of modules have halved, and their efficiencies have improved dramatically because of investments in research and development, he said. “All of this is increasing the commercial viability of solar relative to alternative sources of electricity, both within China and in the wider Asian markets and globally,” Buckley said. Though its early days, China should be able to leverage its leadership with trade partners in Asia, Africa and South America, he added. Read more

Lachlan Maddock, Editor of Investor Strategy News points to Climate Capital Forum’s proposal in its pre-budget submission for the Future Fund to include a “strategic national interest objective”. Read more

Climate Capital Forum founder Blair Palese comments on federal government grant to Bluescope Steel for work to reline existing arc furnace in Port Kembla through Critical Inputs to Clean Energy Industries program. “There is no time left for federal government support for anything except strategies to fully decarbonise as global demand for net-zero materials grows exponentially,” she said. Read more

Blair Palese, Climate Capital Forum founder criticises a $137 million federal grant to BlueScope Steel for a $1.15 billion upgrade of its Port Kembla blast furnace. “We need policy vision and ambition that encourages this transition, not more support for existing emission-intensive industries.” Read more

Amid the cost of living crisis one ray of sunshine of late has been falling energy prices. And while the mild weather, lower fuel costs and fewer coal supply issues have played a part, the increase in cheap wind and solar energy has also been helping to drive down the cost of keeping the lights on and heating and cooling our homes and businesses. Read more

Allocating taxpayer monies to support BlueScope Steel to invest $1bn to lock in high emissions blast furnace technology for the next 20 years is a missed opportunity according to Climate Capital Forum. Much stronger incentives are urgently needed to reduce – not support new – fossil fuel powered production. Read more

Australia can close down its largest coal-fired power plant and the residents of New South Wales wouldn’t experience any interruption in their electricity, according to a new report. CEF director Tim Buckley analyzed the 2024-2030 power sector and determined NSW will get along just fine without depending on dirty old coal. “There is no reason why the taxpayer should be on the hook for multiples of hundreds of millions of dollars to keep Eraring open,” said Buckley Read more

Energy analysts including Tim Buckley have argued that retail power prices should fall when the Australian Energy Regulator sets its default market offer for the year from 1 July. Even though wholesale prices make up only about one-third of the bill consumers pay, the drop so far this financial year could provide a “double-digit drop” if maintained, Buckley said. Read more