Analysis

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Is increased volatility the new norm?

This year has showcased an increased level of volatility in the National Electricity Market (NEM). To date we have seen significant fluctuations in spot prices with prices hitting both maximum price caps on several occasions and ongoing growth in periods of negative prices with generation being curtailed at times. We took a closer look at why this is happening and the impact this could have on the grid in the future.

BY Australian Energy Council Oct 03 2024

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Energy Retail: Meeting the Future Needs of Energy Consumers

The electrification of everything, responsive demand and energy storage, the rise of prosumers and digitalisation and the evolving regulatory framework are all changing the landscape for energy consumers, making it clear that the traditional energy only retail model is not likely to meet all of consumers’ needs in a high consumer energy resources (CER) world. Currently, the AEC and its members are in the midst of a series of projects which will help consumers find the connections they need. What are are they and how will they help? We take a closer look.

BY Jo De Silva Oct 03 2024

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Europe's Power Move: Leaving Coal Behind

Next week, the world’s sixth largest economy will bid farewell to coal, with the UK closing its final coal-fired power station. Like the UK, Europe is also seeing a collective phase out of coal, with a majority of European Union states pledging to transition away from the fossil-fuel. Europe’s commitment to decarbonise has accelerated this shift, but what are the implications of this phase-out? We take a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Sep 26 2024

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Is there a better way to manage AEMO’s costs?

The market operator performs a vital role in managing the electricity and gas systems and markets across Australia. In WA, AEMO recovers the costs of performing its functions via fees paid by market participants, based on expenditure approved by the State’s Economic Regulation Authority. In the last few years, AEMO’s costs have sky-rocketed in WA driven in part by the amount of market reform and the challenges of budgeting projects that are not adequately defined. Here we take a look at how AEMO’s costs have escalated, proposed changes to the allowable revenue framework, and what can be done to keep a lid on costs.

BY Graham Pearson Sep 19 2024

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The Challenge Ahead for Australia’s Net Zero Economy Authority

Earlier this month. the Bill to establish a Net Zero Economy Authority was passed by Parliament. The new Authority aims to promote Australia’s economic transformation as the country moves towards a net zero emissions economy, ensuring the regions and their workers are both supported and able to benefit from the transition. So how will the Authority achieve this, and how will it fit in with the plethora of jurisdictional and industry transition efforts already underway? We take a closer look.

BY Braeden Keen Sep 19 2024

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A farewell to UK coal

While Australia is still grappling with the timetable for closure of its coal-fired power stations and how best to manage the energy transition, the UK firmly set its sights on October this year as the right time for all coal to exit its grid a few years ago. Now its last operating coal-fired plant – Ratcliffe-on-Soar – has already taken delivery of its last coal and will cease generating at the end of this month. We take a look at the closure and the UK’s move away from coal.

BY Carl Kitchen & Tom Monaghan Sep 12 2024

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Emissions trends and electricity sector

With the Federal Government’s Net Zero Plan soon to be released, the latest greenhouse gas emissions data has served to reinforce that it will require all sectors of the economy to reduce their emissions if Australia is to hit its 2030 target of a 43 per cent reduction on 2005 levels. The March 2024 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quarterly Update shows overall emissions only fell by 0.6 per cent in the 12 months to March. We take a closer look.

BY Carl Kitchen Sep 05 2024

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Complex network tariffs: How do we best manage the risk?

Changes in network tariffs has led to a system-wide blame game, with retailers, networks and the regulator blaming each other for confusion among customers due to overly complex tariffs. So how did we get to where we are today, and where do we go to from here? We took a closer look.

BY Ben Barnes Sep 05 2024

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A tale of two approaches: How does Victoria’s energy plan differ from the 2024 ISP?

The release of the Victorian Government’s energy plan – Cheaper, Cleaner, Renewable: Our Plan for Victoria’s Electricity Future, outlines the Government’s roadmap and what will be needed to reach an ambitious emission reduction target of net zero by 2045. Like AEMO’s 2024 Integrated System Plan (ISP), Victoria sees wind and solar as key pillars to their transition, along with battery storage. So, what does it believe it will need to achieve net zero, and how does this differ from the ISP? We take a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Aug 29 2024

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UK looks to revitalise its offshore wind sector

Last year, the UK’s offshore wind ambitions were setback when its renewable auction – Allocation Round 5 or AR5 – failed to attract any new offshore projects, a first for what had been a successful Contracts for Difference scheme. Now the UK Government has boosted the strike price for its current auction and boosted the overall budget for offshore projects. Will it succeed? We take a look.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 22 2024

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Battery Storage: Australia’s current climate

As the world shifts to renewable energy, the importance of battery storage becomes more and more evident. Intermittent sources of generation – wind and solar – are playing an increasing role during the transition, and as dispatchable plants leave the market, battery storage, along with pumped hydro and gas-fired generation, will become more critical to the grid. So, what does Australia’s storage capabilities look like, and what will be needed to meet our net zero targets? We take a look.

BY Tom Monaghan Aug 22 2024

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Dunkelflaute writ large - May 2024?

In the latter half of May 2024 there was an extended wind drought that primarily affected the major wind generating regions of the National Electricity Market. What impact did it have on the performance of variable renewable energy (VRE) generators during this period, and does it point to a need for greater geographical dispersion of wind assets? We take a look.

BY Peter Brook Aug 15 2024

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Energy transition understanding limited: Surveys

Since Graham Richardson first proposed a 20 per cent reduction in Australia’s greenhouse gas emission levels in 1988, climate change and Australia’s energy transition has been at the forefront of government policies and commitments. However, despite more than three decades of climate action and debate in Australia, and energy policy taking centre stage in the political arena over the last decade, a reporting has found confusion and hesitation towards the transition is common among voters. We took a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Aug 08 2024

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Retail protection reviews – A view from the frontline

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and the Essential Services Commission (ESC) have released separate papers to review and consult on changes to their respective regulation around payment difficulty. Many elements of the proposed changes focus on the interactions between an energy retailer’s call-centre and their hardship customers, we visited one of these call centres to understand how these frameworks are implemented in practice. Drawing on this experience, we take a look at the reviews that are underway.

BY Braeden Keen Aug 01 2024

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Consumer Energy Resources: The next big thing?

The Consumer Energy Resources Roadmap has just been endorsed by Energy and Climate Change Ministers. It is considered by government to be the next big reform for the energy system and important to achieving the AEMO’s Integrated System Plan (ISP). Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, recognises the key will be “making sure that those consumers who have solar panels or a battery or an electric vehicle are able to get maximum benefit out of it for themselves and also for the grid”. There’s no doubt that will be important; equally there is no doubt that it is not simple to achieve, nor a certainty. With the grid intended to serve customers, not the other way around, customer interests will need to be front and centre as the roadmap is rolled out. We take a look.

BY David Markham and Carl Kitchen Jul 25 2024

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Australia’s workforce shortage: A potential obstacle on the road to net zero

Australia is no stranger to ambitious climate policies. In 2022, the Labor party campaigned on transitioning Australia’s grid to 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030, and earlier this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the Future Made in Australia agenda, a project which aims to create new jobs and opportunities as we move towards a net zero future. While these policies have unveiled a raft of opportunities, they have also highlighted a major problem: a lack of skilled workers. Why is this a problem? We take a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Jul 25 2024

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Made in Australia: The Solar Challenge

While Australia is seeking to support a domestic solar industry through policy measures one constant question is how Australia can hope to compete with China? Australia currently manufactures around one per cent of the solar panels installed across the country. Recent reports and analysis highlight the scale of the challenge in trying to develop homegrown solar manufacturing, as does the example of the US, which has been looking to support its own capabilities while introducing measures to also restrict Chinese imports. We take a look.

BY Carl Kitchen Jul 18 2024

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Great British Energy – The UK’s new state-owned energy company

Last week’s UK election saw the Labour Party return to government after 14 years in opposition. Their emphatic win – the largest majority in a quarter of a century - delivered a mandate to implement their party manifesto, including a promise to set up Great British Energy (GB Energy), a publicly-owned and independently-run energy company which aims to deliver cheaper energy bills and cleaner power. So what is GB Energy and how will it work? We take a closer look.

BY Tom Monaghan Jul 11 2024

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Delivering on the ISP – risks and opportunities for future iterations

AEMO’s Integrated System Plan (ISP) maps an optimal development path (ODP) for generation, storage and network investments to hit the country’s net zero by 2050 target. It is predicated on a range of Federal and state government policy settings and reforms and on a range of scenarios succeeding. As with all modelling exercises, the ISP is based on a range of inputs and assumptions, all of which can, and do, change. AEMO itself has highlighted several risks. We take a look.

BY Carl Kitchen & Tom Monaghan Jul 04 2024

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Data Centres and Energy Demand – What’s Needed?

The growth in data centres brings with it increased energy demands and as a result the use of power has become the number one issue for their operators globally. Australia is seen as a country that will continue to see growth in data centres and Morgan Stanley Research has taken a detailed look at both the anticipated growth in data centres in Australia and what it might mean for our grid. We take a closer look.

BY Carl Kitchen Jun 27 2024

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