Coal/electricity/electrification
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OP ED | China’s Massive Investment into Cleantech R&D and Manufacturing is Catalysing the Global Energy Transition
10 years ago, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech outlining that developing a New Energy Vehicle (NEV) industry was the only way for China to become a global automobile manufacturing powerhouse. This speech marked the pivotal moment of China’s trajectory in developing its new energy industry. Fast forward a decade, through strategic industry and energy policy, and a core focus on research and development (R&D), China has become the largest NEV manufacturer in the world, and in 2023, overtook Japan as the world’s largest auto exporter. Read more
OP ED | FEDERAL BUDGET 2024-25: DOWNPAYMENT ON A FUTURE MADE IN AUSTRALIA
The Federal Government has announced $21.0bn of new funding initiatives under the Future Made in Australia Act strategic framework in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ 2024-2025 Federal Budget last night. Adding to the ~$45bn of capital support in the 2023 budget, this is another substantial downpayment on the $100bn of new capital and budget support needed this decade to drive investment in zero emissions industries of the future for Australia. Read more
REPORT | POWER SHIFT: Staggering rise of renewables positions China to end new coal power before 2030
Based on extensive modelling of China’s electricity market, CEF’S new report forecasts that thanks to China’s staggering surge in renewable energy generation, coal power generation will peak well before 2030, then plateau and decline. On the basis of China’s electricity decarbonisation progress to date, the report finds that it is entirely feasible for China to dramatically slow the rate of its new coal power plant buildout and cease the construction of new plants before 2030. This has profound significance for global decarbonisation. China is currently responsible for 96% of the world’s new coal power under construction. Read more
Future Made in Australia Act to Put Australia in Global Cleantech Race
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today announces the Future Made in Australia Act, designed to deliver a uniquely Australian Response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – which is turbocharging renewables, cleantech and reindustrialisation in the US as it drives massive private capital investment – and comparable initiatives across other major economies. The Act will bring together a co-ordinated and comprehensive package of new and existing decarbonisation initiatives to seize the opportunities of a future made in Australia. It promises massive new investment, regional employment and net export opportunities, leveraging and value-adding our world-leading natural resources, both renewables and mining, as well as our expertise, geographic position in Asia and financial strengths. Read more
REPORT | More coal subsidies to extend Eraring? Heads, Origin wins; Tails, taxpayers lose
CEF’s new report reveals taxpayers would be on the hook for $150m per year in subsidies to Origin Energy to keep ageing coal clunker Eraring operating beyond its planned closure date in August 2025, and confirms there is enough renewable capacity in the pipeline to offset the closure. Read more
Happy birthday Snowy 2.0, now a $12bn debacle
On the 7th anniversary of the announcement of Snowy 2.0, Owen Evans chronicles an unmitigated energy infrastructure disaster – a case study in what not to do. Read more
Analysis | QLD Battery Industry Strategy Positions Sunshine State as Cleantech Leader – Time for State and Federal Counterparts to Step Up
Queensland’s groundbreaking announcement today of a more than half billion dollar investment of strategic public capital into a battery industry strategy means the sunshine state is now becoming the nation’s cleantech leader, streaking ahead of the other states and the federal government to claim the zero-emissions energy and investment crown. Read more
OP ED | Here we go again: Rooftop PV + SMRs + CCS the latest ploy in the Coalition’s ‘disrupt and delay’ handbook
Here we go again – the latest salvo from the climate laggards of the National Party designed to disrupt and delay Australia’s accelerating clean energy revolution. This time, it is couched in the tactically crafty but deeply cynical and flawed view that distributed renewables – minus utility-scale – are the solution to electricity grid decarbonisation. Read more
REPORT | Queensland’s Energy Transformation: From Coal Colossus to Renewable Energy Superpower
An analysis of Queensland’s current energy grid and its transition from FY24 to FY36, modelling the impacts of large-scale and distributed energy generation and storage to meet Queensland’s renewable energy and emissions reduction targets. Read more
OP ED | Massive Victorian blackout a copybook illustration of need to build energy system resilience & accelerate transition to firmed renewables
Yesterday afternoon storms damaged power lines across Victoria taking all four generators at AGL’s massive end-of-life 2,210 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Loy Yang A power station offline as part of a cascading series of events, and with it 30% of the state’s power supply. This is a massive wake up call on the unreliability of ailing coal clunkers and the need to transition to firmed renewables. Read more
