Analysis

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FMG chases green dream

Disruption is one of the cornerstones of the success of Fortescue Metals Group. FMG’s ability to get things done in the face of seemingly insurmountable barriers can be illustrated no more vividly than when BHP and Rio Tinto sought to prevent the then start up iron ore miner from accessing its rail lines in the Pilbara. FMG built its own and outdid its rivals by extending those lines to Perth. Now FMG wants to apply the same zeal to energy and green steel.

BY Hamish Fitzsimmons Mar 04 2021

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The best little blackout in Texas

They say everything’s bigger in Texas. The major power outages from which it is just emerging, were triggered by a polar vortex and impacted around 4.5 million customers. There's been plenty of finger pointing with intermittent renewables being blamed, questions raised about Texas’s go-it-alone attitude and claims of poor preparations stemming from a deregulated energy market.

BY Carl Kitchen Feb 25 2021

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New systems, new risks

The shift to an increasingly low-carbon grid will continue to bring major structural changes to electricity systems around the world and, with it, new challenges in managing security on various levels.

BY AEC Nov 05 2020

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The wildcat strike: Twenty years on

We are often discussing the new challenges of securely operating a power system with new renewable and storage technologies. Twenty years ago the National Electricity Market supply was much more uniform relying on conventional large power systems, predominately coal. But that was no cruise either as the power system then faced a routine threat as big as anything we face today, but has now abated: industrial action.

BY Ben Skinner Nov 05 2020

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NSW Generation: What impact intervention?

This week the Federal Government announced it would be prepared to step in to have 1000MW of dispatchable capacity built to replace the retiring 1680MW Liddell power station in NSW if the private sector does not “step up”.

BY Carl Kitchen Oct 26 2020

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Getting hydrogen on your own supply

If you Google “technology roadmap”, in the ‘People also ask’ section there’s a question, “What is the purpose of a technology roadmap?” That seems a good place to start.

BY Hamish Fitzsimmons Sep 24 2020

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Green steel and energy exports: How realistic?

The potential for a hydrogen economy to be built around what could become a large-scale, cleaner and cheap energy source is never far from the news.

BY Carl Kitchen May 14 2020

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The energy market: A sensible place to stimulate the economy?

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen major shifts across the globe, with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warning that the shadow of the economic shock will be profound and long-lasting.

BY Ben Skinner May 07 2020

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New Electrical Arc Flash Hazard Management resources

The last two ‘tools’ in the suite of Electrical Arc Flash Hazard Management resources are now freely available from the Australian Energy Council.

BY AEC Apr 22 2020

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NEM demand in the time of COVID-19

Australia’s COVID-19 response, with lockdowns between and within the states, means many of the nation’s economic activities have encountered new challenges, with many people working from home with commercial premises empty.

BY Carol Tran Apr 09 2020

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Climate policy toolkit: What impact will state tinkering have?

The Climate Change Authority has released a research report titled Prospering in a Low-Emissions World: An Updated Climate Policy Toolkit for Australia. This Toolkit aims to ensure Australia maintains a coordinated national approach to meeting its commitments under the Paris Agreement.

BY Rhys Thomas Apr 02 2020

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Reactions to new nuclear report rekindles debate

The release of a New South Wales report last week, along with the Federal Government’s plans to release a technology roadmap have helped rekindle the debate about the suitability of nuclear generation for Australia’s power system.

BY Carl Kitchen Mar 13 2020

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The year that was

It has been a year in which energy policy was front and centre of the national conversation once again – a focus which was only exacerbated by the New South Wales and Federal elections.

BY Sarah McNamara Dec 12 2019

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COAG Energy Council: Worth the wait?

The COAG Energy Council met Friday 22 November 2019 in Perth. It was a meeting that had been much anticipated since its eventful predecessor in December 2018.

BY Sarah McNamara Nov 28 2019

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New hydrogen report and conversion assessment tool

A recent report looks not only at the potential to convert cities to a hydrogen fuel source, but also at what needs to be done to make it happen.

BY Justine Lovell Nov 07 2019

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Gas in Australia: Where is it now and where is it going?

Gas reform has been a focus of government over a number of years. The implementation of the current reform process is now concluding, with most initiatives expected to be in place by mid-2020.

BY Duncan MacKinnon Oct 31 2019

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Australia’s big energy experiment

Sarah McNamara, Andrew Dillon and Jemena CEO Frank Tudor represented Australia at the International Electricity Summit in Fukuoka, Japan. It is an invaluable opportunity to understand the challenges occurring in electricity markets globally and to share the Australian experience.

BY AEC & ENA Oct 10 2019

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Are renewables generating a “new market dynamic”?

This week the Clean Energy Regulator announced that it had approved enough generation capacity to meet the 33,000GWh Renewable Energy Target.

BY Carl Kitchen Sep 05 2019

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Singapore: Some familiar issues in an unfamiliar context

In late July, Ben Skinner, General Manager Policy & Research, addressed a biennial conference run by the Singapore market operator, the Energy Market Company. Ben participated in committees discussing long-term market reform proposals for the National Electricity Market of Singapore. Here he shares his reflections on a market and reform process that has similarities, but also differences, to our own.

BY Ben Skinner Aug 21 2019

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Community perceptions on energy revealed

The Australian Infrastructure Audit released this week has highlighted that the growth in energy prices has become the dominant issue for the energy sector since its first infrastructure audit in 2015. The latest assessment also provides some interesting insights into the intention of Australian households and consumers to take up new energy technology, such as battery storage. We take a close look.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 15 2019

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