Capital
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The biggest change in the world’s energy mix between now and 2050 will be a significant increase in solar and wind, coupled with a large reduction in coal, but oil is projected to remain the largest source of primary energy, according to Exxon Mobil’s (XOM.N) latest outlook. Gas demand is also projected to rise, largely to help meet rising demand for electricity, particularly in developing economies, and industrial heat.
Alcoa Corporation’s (NYSE: AA) social licence is fraying in its WA base as the Shire of Murray, home to the mining giant’s biggest Australian alumina refinery Pinjarra, voted unanimously not to support current activities or its planned expansion unless the company adopted 21 pages of detailed recommendations formulated by the Shire. (Boiling Cold) (Harvey-Waroona Reporter)
 Projects
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Environment Minister Murray Watt approved the long-delayed $3 billion wind farm on Robbins Island, with additional environmental conditions added to better protect the orange-bellied parrot, Tasmanian devil and Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. But environmentalists say that in allowing ACEN to go ahead, the federal government has signed a death warrant for the surrounding ecosystem. (The Australian) (Pulse Tasmania) (Guardian) (ABC) (AAP)
“The decision shows that large, complex projects can be delivered responsibly, balancing overall impacts and conserving biodiversity, with the need for clean energy to address climate change. It comes at a time when Australia faces a stalling energy transition and looming power shortages as coal exits the system. It also reflects the depth and rigour of ACEN’s work to address the assessment criteria and scrutiny applied through the approvals process.”
David Pollington
ACEN Australia Managing Director
The conditions require:
- Comprehensive surveys for three years prior to construction, which will provide a significant amount of new information about the orange-bellied parrot and how it uses and flies over the island, to inform ongoing risk management during operations
- The proponent will provide funding support for Tasmania's orange-bellied parrot conservation program, to continue rebuilding its population
- A commitment to improve conservation outcomes for the orange-bellied parrot through new measures such as research and land management activities
- Before the wind farm can begin generation, the conditions also require the proponent to develop and implement a bird and bat management plan to evaluate, mitigate and manage the risks of turbine collision for threatened birds
- Management actions may include curtailment or shutdown of all or some turbines under an adaptive management framework.
An 81-turbine wind farm in southwest Victoria has been approved after more than a decade in the works. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny gave the nod on Saturday for the 400MW Mt Fyans wind farm project near Mortlake, west of Geelong. The state opposition previously dubbed it "the longest delayed project" in the state’s renewables planning system. (AAP)
Policy
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan faced boos and heckles at a forum hosted by the Herald-Sun in Ballarat, after the passage of Victoria’s land access legislation to facilitate new energy transmission projects. One woman in the crowd stood on a chair with a noose draped around her neck. (The Nightly) (ABC)
“While much of the attention has focused on provisions giving authorised officers powers to enter properties, the
Bill also establishes the REZ Community Funds — a mechanism where developers contribute via access fees to support local communities."
Nathan Hart
Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement, Clean Energy Council
Coalition Leader Sussan Ley told the Ballarat audience: "We do need to have an energy policy that delivers affordable, reliable energy and plays Australia's role in reducing emissions, but that reducing emissions part and that energy policy, it can't come at any cost, and what we're seeing with this government is no regard for the cost."
Later, Environment Minister Murray Watt said the country needed renewable energy to bring down emissions and power bills and blamed energy companies for the lack of support.
"But of course in doing that we need to play very close attention to the environmental impacts of these proposals and the community impacts of these proposals and I'll be the first to say that not all energy companies have consulted communities the way that they should.”
Environment Minister Murray Watt told reporters
Julian Leeser, one of the few remaining Liberals to hold a metropolitan seat, said he supported the net zero emissions target, as the energy policy review grinds on.
“I've long been on the public record of being a supporter of the net zero target. Sussan Ley has set up a process to look at our energy policy … I want to see a target that reduces emissions, I want to see a policy that reduces prices because Australian businesses and families are struggling, and I want to see something that increases reliability so our economy can grow. We are not going to be in government for the next three years, and during that time we are already seeing emissions go up under Labor, prices go up, and reliability go down, and that needs to be the focus of our discussions on these issues.”
Liberal MP Julian Leeser told ABC’s Insiders
Regulation
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The Treasury opened consultation on national licensing for electrical occupations, calling for feedback on barriers or challenges electricians face when working outside of their home state, kinds of electrical work to include in the scheme, and design options for the scheme.
“As we train the electrical professionals needed to transition our energy systems to net zero, we need them to be able to go where their skills are most needed with a license that is nationally recognised and understood. The national regime must put safety and quality at the centre of its design, reflecting best practice from across the country – not composed of existing lowest common denominators in sub-national jurisdictions.”
Michael Wright
ETU National Secretary
The Australian Energy Regulator released guidance for electricity market participants on compliance with critical Projected Assessment of System Adequacy (PASA) obligations under the National Electricity Rules, with participants urged to regularly review their systems and processes to ensure they remain compliant. PASA obligations fall within a Compliance and Enforcement Priority to support power system security and an efficient wholesale electricity market by focusing on compliance with network outage obligations, generator performance standards and availability obligations.
Technology
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The first phase of the State Power Investment Corporation Sichuan Panzhihua 100MW/500MWh Vanadium Flow Battery Energy Storage Power Station was successfully connected to the grid following completion of technical commissioning. Sichuan’s first grid-connected vanadium flow energy storage project is expected to raise renewable energy utilisation in the region by 6.64 percentage points annually, equivalent to an additional 21.25 million kWh of green power consumption and a reduction of 1.353 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Climate
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As US President Donald Trump moves to dramatically increase LNG exports, residents in Pennsylvania towns along the Delaware River are pushing back against a new $7 billion terminal that will export the state’s plentiful fracked gas. (Inside Climate News)
People
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John Tucker will leave his role as CEO of TAFE Queensland, effective December, after 18 years with the organisation.
Francesca Marlow, HR Projects Officer at Sodexo, won the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) Future Leader Award for creating the SoBelong program, breaking down barriers to fly-in fly-out careers for women, Indigenous Australians, and the long-term unemployed.
Research
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The ANU’s Social Research Centre’s latest Life in Australia™ research shows views on energy split sharply along party lines. Two thirds of Australians (68%) think renewables are “somewhat or very likely” to help the nation achieve zero by 2050, while just under half (45%) think nuclear power is “somewhat or very likely” to be of use for achieving the decarbonisation target.
Random
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Can Newcastle – a city built on coal and steel – become ‘Australia’s Berlin’, with an artistic renaissance with a gritty authenticity all its own? (The Australian)
