Analysis

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Transmission Access Reform: Has the time passed?

Last week submissions to the AEMC’s Transmission Access Reform consultation paper closed. It is the latest in a long running consideration of how best to ensure both efficient dispatch and investment in new generation to ensure new kit is sited in the best locations. But this continued pursuit of reform brings to the fore the question of whether other policy initiatives have already superseded the need for the proposed changes. We take a look at where the reform proposals have come from, as well as concerns about the suggested approach that have emerged.

BY Australian Energy Council Jun 13 2024

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EPBC Act: Does the Government have its finger on a climate trigger?

The Government’s Nature Positive Plan Reform has reignited the debate on whether Australia should add a climate trigger into our environmental protection laws. This was sparked after the Government announced stage three of the Nature Positive Plan would be focusing on “climate-related reforms, including the interaction between environment and climate laws.” So, what is a climate trigger and why is it such a contentious issue? We take a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Jun 06 2024

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2023 - The Year That Was

In recent years the pace and breadth of change and developments in the energy sector has been remarkable. Looking back over the past 12 months it is apparent that continues to be the case.

BY Australian Energy Council Dec 19 2023

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Delivering the energy transition: Contestability vs financeability

The development and construction of new transmission where economically justified is critical for the energy transition and it needs to be delivered in a timely and efficient manner. Several rule change proposals highlighting concerns about the TNSPs’ ability to raise the necessary finance to fund construction on terms that maintain a BBB+ credit rating. We take a look at the issue and consider whether there might be other workable approaches to deliver the transmission the transition requires.

BY Peter Brook Dec 07 2023

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International Electricity Summit 2023: Australia goes to Washington D.C.

The International Electricity Summit is held every 12 – 18 months and brings together electricity industry leaders from around the globe to examine the major issues and headwinds facing the sector. It is an invaluable opportunity to meet colleagues from other developed economies and talk together to understand the challenges occurring in electricity markets globally.

BY AEC & ENA Oct 19 2023

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Green energy superpower

As Australia undergoes its energy transition, there has been discussion around the country’s potential to establish itself as a ‘green energy superpower’ within a future global green economy. Illustrating this discussion is a recently released report by the Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth.

BY Braeden Keen Oct 19 2023

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Decarbonising aviation – in it for the long haul

Until recently, the aviation sector has avoided policymaker attention – at least as far as carbon reduction policy goes. However, this has started to change with the Federal Government’s recent publication of an Aviation Green Paper, which attempts to navigate the foggy skies of how to align aviation with a net-zero by 2050 future. So what are some of the options, and challenges, for aviation decarbonisation? Here we take a look.

BY Rhys Thomas Sep 28 2023

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Nuclear power for Australia: A potted history

Nuclear power has re-emerged as part of our energy debate with the Federal Opposition proposing a coal-to-nuclear transition. While it does wax and wane a look back at the political arguments around nuclear power show that it has never been too far from mainstream arguments about and resurfaces from time-to-time with similar themes and arguments. Most recently, and like many things relating to energy, it can also quickly become enmeshed in the so-called “culture wars”.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 31 2023

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Government energy bill relief measures: How do they stack up?

A lot has been written about the high cost of living, and the impact on the ability of customers to pay their energy bills. With the Default Offers in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Queensland increasing by around 25 per cent, the pressure on energy bills is mounting. So what are governments and regulators doing to support customers to manage high energy costs? We take a look at the reforms currently underway, and how they might impact retailers’ already supporting customers experiencing payment difficulty.

BY Ben Barnes Aug 31 2023

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AEC Analysis: Retail Market Performance Indicators

Governments, regulators and consumer advocates are taking more interest than ever in monitoring the retail energy market, and everyone has a view on what is working and what is going wrong. In this climate, the release of both the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and the Victorian Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) market performance indicators for the third quarter of 2023 provides a useful datapoint to assess how retailers are tracking, and how customers are managing their energy bills. We take a deep dive into the numbers, and provide some context on their drivers.

BY Ben Barnes Jul 06 2023

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Electrifying moves

This week the ACT Government announced increased support for residents to electrify their homes. More broadly electrification of homes continues to be the subject of much discussion with a new Grattan Institute report recommending ways to encourage households to shift from gas, the announcement of a Senate inquiry into home electrification and an AER review underway. We take a closer look at the new developments and some of the implications.

BY Carl Kitchen Jun 29 2023

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Critical minerals, clean energy and a US compact

Last weekend the US and Australia entered a Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact. Prior to that the Federal Government announced funding to help progress development of local processing capabilities for critical minerals and more is expected to emerge when the Federal Government’s critical minerals strategy is released in coming weeks. It all highlights the growing importance of critical minerals in the clean energy transition and how best to develop Australia’s reserves. We consider the key drivers and recent developments.

BY Carl Kitchen May 25 2023

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Why it’s important to have good standards

There is so much going on in the Consumer Energy Resources (CER) space it’s difficult to keep track. There’s record uptake of rooftop solar, VPP trials, advanced trials for a CER marketplace. Market bodies and regulators are making efforts to enable consumer uptake of CER with reforms and technical standards. Those standards will strongly influence how CER operate, interact with the grid and what benefit owners ultimately derive. Here we take a closer look at how they work and consider why it’s important for stakeholders to get involved.

BY David Markham May 25 2023

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IEA: Australia steps up ambitions, but work still to be done

Australia has “stepped up” its climate ambitions with a trajectory compatible with the Paris Agreement but a clear policy roadmap is needed, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest Australian Policy Review. Since its last review in 2018, the analysis shows Australia is catching up to the emissions reductions pledged by other advanced countries. We take a look at some of the key findings in this assessment.

BY Australian Energy Council May 11 2023

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A budget big on energy

The Albanese Government’s latest budget is big on the energy transition, while seeking to help manage energy cost pressures for households and businesses. There are energy-related elements to the budget ranging from funding to get auctions for the Capacity Investment Scheme underway through to energy efficiency support and additional funding for the ACCC to manage the Consumer Data Right. In the lead up to the budget there was also significant focus on electricity bill relief measures. We take a look at some of the key energy-related areas in the budget.

BY Australian Energy Council May 11 2023

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Holding the line – price regulation during a cost-of-living crisis

Price regulation is tricky at any time but setting annual prices in the complex system of electricity…this year – is a particular challenge. Regulated prices form a significant input to retailers’ revenue forecasts and impact their product design, pricing and wholesale portfolio risk management strategies – often set-up more than a year in advance. So it’s vitally important for market stability that regulators apply principle-based methodologies consistently across periods. Here we have undertaken a detailed look at how the methodologies used by the AER and Victoria’s ESC compare and arrived at their recent draft determinations.

BY Jane Sing Apr 20 2023

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IRA Part 2: Responses to the Act

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has caused quite a stir globally given the breadth of its ambition and the real potential for it to impact clean energy developments elsewhere. Locally business leaders have suggested Australia needs to react. We consider some of the responses both locally and internationally to date.

BY Australian Energy Council Apr 13 2023

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Carbon emissions: “Charismatic abatement” lacks compelling numbers

The latest Productivity Commission 5-year productivity inquiry report has again starkly highlighted the indirect carbon costs of a range of fragmented government policies that have emerged to drive emission reductions. The report includes updated and detailed analysis of the estimated carbon abatement costs of various measures across Australian jurisdictions. We take a look.

BY Carl Kitchen Apr 06 2023

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National Energy Transition Authority – Constitution says no?

Last week, the Senate Economics Committee published its report on the merits of establishing a National Energy Transition Authority to coordinate and oversee the various state energy transition plans. The Labor-led Committee ultimately recommended against the Bill’s passage but did not cite clear reasons for its position. We take a closer look at what was proposed and the issues around it.

BY Rhys Thomas Mar 30 2023

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New report on management of large-scale battery hazards

The energy industry’s transition to lower emissions is resulting in companies’ health, safety and environment focus shifting from conventional generation to large-scale batteries. To assist the industry’s reskilling, the Australian Energy Council engaged GHD Engineering Consultants to provide an introduction to large-scale battery hazards. Today we release their report.

BY Australian Energy Council Mar 30 2023

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