Media

For Climate Energy Finance’s latest report on Eraring we reviewed available data to estimate that to keep all four generation units of Eraring open beyond 2025, NSW electricity users would bear the brunt of yet another coal subsidy of a minimum $120-150 million (USD 78.3-97.99 million) annually. NSW consumers are already funding Origin an estimated $468 million, since the government introduced measures in December 2022 to cap the price generators would pay for coal, a response to fossil fuel hyperinflation resulting from sanctions on Russian exports after its invasion of Ukraine. This represents nearly half-a-billion dollars of public money already sunk into the energy giant. Read more

NSW taxpayers could be on the hook for as much as $150 million a year for every year the Eraring coal-fired power plant remains open, energy analysts predict, with the Minns government refusing to detail the terms of its negotiations with owner Origin Energy ahead of a likely extension beyond 2025. Read more

Extending the lifespan of NSW’s largest coal-fired power station would cost taxpayers between $120m-$150m a year, a report from a renewable energy think tank has concluded. Read more

A coalition of business, union, First Nations and community groups are calling for local content requirements to be built into tenders for the Capacity Investment Scheme. A measured, considered domestic content stipulation in CIS tenders will support domestic clean energy and technology supply chains to mature. It can be a valuable tool that underpins investor confidence both into and by Australian companies. Read more

A coalition including leading union, investor, energy, industry and First Nations peak groups today called on the federal government to embed requirements for locally produced and supplied components into all renewable energy supply chain manufacturing and development. A measured, considered local content requirement (LCR) in CIS tenders will support the domestic clean energy and technology supply chains to mature. 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

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

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

Our op ed on PM Albanese’s state visit to the US. While the visit was touted as a platform for major announcements on investment into an Australian response to the game-changing Inflation Reduction Act, there was a lot of talk, but only $2bn for Australian critical minerals – entirely insufficient relative to the scale of our opportunity to lead the world in processing of minerals onshore. Read our full analysis. Read more

According to a report released today by Climate Energy Finance (CEF), capping the diesel fuel rebate (the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme – FCT) would save $14 billion over 7 years. It could also help to kick-start a mining electric vehicle industry in Australia, including export opportunities. Read more

Australian Mine Safety Journal reports that restricting fossil fuel incentives could accelerate the transition towards environmentally friendly alternatives, a study found. “This is not a revenue grab we are trying to encourage them to do the right thing,” Climate Energy Finance Corporation founding director Tim Buckley said according to the Australian Associated Press. Buckley suggested extra taxpayer money should be spent on luring Liebherr, Komatsu, Caterpillar and more to expand their domestic electric vehicle operations. Read more

Tim Buckley told AusBiz that CEF calls for a new $100bn new capital and direct budget investment in renewables and energy transition over the next decade, as a response to Biden’s IRA, with half to focus on domestic electrification and decarbonisation, another half to focus on value-added energy transition materials exports. Part of this could be funded by a cap on the diesel rebate to mining. Read more