Coal/electricity/electrification
AGL | CEF NEWS UPDATES | CEF SERIES ON CRITICAL MINERALS | China | Coal/electricity/electrification | Critical minerals | Decarbonisation | Energy Crisis | Finance Sector & Emissions | Hydrogen | India & Adani | Monthly China Energy Updates | Submissions | Taxes & subsidies | US IRA/ NZIA et al |
ANALYSIS | The massive green iron opportunity is there for Australia to develop, but it requires strategic public capital investment and a decarbonised grid
With Sweden’s H2GS building the world’s first large-scale green steel plant and Europe’s first giga-scale electrolyser, we look at the massive opportunity for Australia – the world’s biggest producer of iron ore – to lead in the production of green iron, and the conditions that make this possible: substantial national interest public capital investment to trigger private investment at scale, and a massive decarbonisation of our grid to supply 100% green energy for processing. We must do more than dig and ship! Read more
PRESENTATION | Renewable Energy & Critical Minerals Superpower
Tim Buckley’s presentation to Ethinvest on the challenge facing Australian industry policy in light of the US IRA and the global energy transition. Read more
REPORT | Fuel Tax Credit Scheme and Heavy Haulage Electric Vehicle Manufacturing in Australia
Our new report argues Australia’s mining sector should become a global leader in electrification of mine equipment, developing onshore battery, recycling and EV manufacturing supply chains and embodying decarbonisation in our commodity exports as a key competitive advantage. We could do this by capping the diesel fuel rebate to $50m pa per firm, clawing back $14bn in tax revenue to 2030 and investing that money in kickstarting an electrified mining transport industry here Read more
OP ED | Aemo Confirms Any Reliability Risks To Electricity Supply Can Be Offset By Expediting New Renewables, Transmission, Storage & Orchestration
As Tim Buckley writes, AEMO’s new 10 year outlook shows expedited approvals of renewables, storage and transmission can offset any reliability risks to electricity supply. Read more
JOINT STATEMENT | DELAYING ERARING CLOSURE DELAYS OUR CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION. Delays will cost consumers, build the climate crisis, and undermine investor certainty
A joint statement with the Clean Energy Investor Group, Smart Energy Council and Nexa Advisory responding to news that the NSW government’s electricity review will recommend delaying the 2025 closure of the Eraring coal power station, Australia’s largest. Read more
COMMENT | AEMO Quarterly Energy Dynamics Report – fossil fuel hyperinflation moderating, emissions down, renewables buildout must now be expedited
June quarter wholesale electricity prices are down 59% year-on-year., a major relief after 18 months of unprecedented fossil fuel hyperinflation. There is a record 30GW of new renewable energy capacity now in the connection pipeline, but just 3GW was completed in financial year 2023. We need to see the rate of completions double to replace end-of-life coal power station capacity inevitably and predictably coming offline. Read more
REPORT | The Lights Will Stay on: Nsw Electricity Plan 2023-30
CEF’s new modelling shows that on-schedule closure of Australia’s largest coal power station, Eraring, in August 2025 is entirely doable with accelerated transition to rooftop solar and utility scale renewables plus storage – there are more than enough projects in the pipeline to replace capacity and the capital is ready and willing. Delay would cost the people of the state $200-400bn in compensation to Eraring owner Brookfield, money which should be spent on distributed solar and the RE buildout. NSW energy minister Penny Sharpe just needs to stand firm and deliver the enormous benefits of decarbonisation to NSW. Read more
DEVELOPING NEW GAS PROJECTS IS 100% THE WRONG ANSWER: Response to Australian Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King’s address to APPEA conference
As APPEA members and lobbyists gather for the annual gas shills’ jamboree and talkfest, we take a forensic look at Resources Minister Madeleine King’s keynote address, and deconstruct the baseless claim that we need more gas – when what we need is a fast, dramatic and wholesale pivot to value-adding critical minerals and energy transition materials onshore, backed by a landmark injection of public investment. With the world responding to the game-changing $1tn US Inflation Reduction Act, we delay, we lose. And the train is leaving the station. Read more
ANALYSIS | Federal Budget 2023/24
The Federal Budget is a mixed bag for climate and energy with a serious case of underreach on fixing the failed PRRT gas tax, but some good policy and funding progress on a National Net Zero Authority, energy bill relief and home and business electrification, and measures to respond to the global race to renewables, such as $2bn for a green Hydrogen Headstart program – all in the context of a massive surprise $4.2bn surplus. However, we need to see more fiscal ambition to respond to game-changing international policy and funding reforms such as the US Inflation Reduction Act that are turbocharging global energy transition. Read more
OP ED | Australia needs a stronger alignment of public and private capital to deliver on our energy transition and climate objectives
Our op ed on a new report released today by the Clean Energy Investor Group and Investor Group on Climate Change, flagging that Australian governments need to collectively lift collaboration with private investors, and derisk the electricity sector to crowd-in private capital at the scale and speed required to meet energy and climate objectives. Read more
