New research from UNSW shows that a medium-level carbon price of between $50-$100 would be sufficient to see all fossil-fuelled power stations in Australia’s National Electricity Market phased out and replaced ‘economically and reliably’ with commercially available renewable energy technologies.
Pumped ocean storage hydropower is not only cost effective, it holds the most potential for large-scale dispatchable renewable power.
Iceland meets 100% of its electricity needs – and 81% of all its primary energy needs – with a combination of geothermal and hydro.
IEA report charts path for doubling of global hydroelectricity output, urging developing economies to tap significant renewables growth potential.
State-owned energy company posts operating profit of $103 million for FY2011-12, predicts $140m boost from increased generation and carbon price.
Origin is not in the market for any new wind farms; rooftop solar is changing demand profiles, although its own installations have fallen sharply; Origin’s experience with cutting-edge technologies has been painful; better renewables opportunities lie overseas; and the RET review is good.
Origin taps into Chile’s ambitious clean energy plans, and boosts its pipeline of global hydro-electric projects to nearly $10 billion.
DoE report notes oceans could provide one third of US energy; Spain and the UK wrestle with solar tariffs.
Dairy farmer adopts mini-hydro; fed funds for Sydney trigen; Greenearth’s CO2-to-fuel technology; CFC results; Solco’s new CEO; Atlantis to build India tidal pilot.
Coal hits new low as NEM demand continues to fall
The latest Cedex report finds the total amount of electricity supplied by Australia’s coal-fired generators at its lowest level in the history of the NEM. But while the report links the introduction of the carbon price to falling emissions and rising renewables output, the reduced demand for coal looks more like the new normal.