Analysis

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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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Green certification key to Government’s climate ambitions

The energy transition is creating surging corporate demand, both domestically and internationally, for renewable electricity. But with growing scrutiny towards greenwashing, it is critical all green electricity claims are verifiable and credible. The Federal Government has designed a policy to perform this function but in recent months the timing of its implementation has come under some doubt. We take a closer look.

BY Rhys Thomas Jun 27 2024

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Energy regulation: A tale of increasing overload?

The energy sector is seeing an increase in regulation, with the retail laws and rules seemingly being changed year on year. This has led to old, overlapping or obsolete regulation not being removed, making it difficult for retailers to comply with, and regulators to enforce these rules and laws. We take a look at how overregulation is affecting customers and the cost of electricity.

BY Jo De Silva Jun 20 2024

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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 But this continued pursuit of reform brings to the fore the question of whether other policy initiatives have already superseded the need for the proposed changes.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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Carbon Capture Storage – A viable option for Australia’s future?

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is increasingly being seen as a vital piece to our emissions reduction puzzle, with governments and industry seeing it as viable way to reach Net Zero. Australia currently has 18 CCS projects at various stages of progress, with only one operational - Chevron’s Gorgon Gas Plant in Western Australia, which has been plagued with problems since the start. We take a deep dive into CCS and whether it can be a feasible option for the future.

BY Tom Monaghan May 30 2024

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Large-scale Nuclear Costs: Has the CSIRO hit the mark?

The latest iteration of the CSIRO’s assessment of generation technology costs for Australia can be expected to come under close scrutiny. It comes in the lead up to the Opposition’s planned release of an energy strategy which will include proposals for nuclear power plants in Australia, and the CSIRO’s work estimates the capital costs, along with the potential timelines, for large-scale nuclear for the first time. We take a look at the CSIRO’s approach and the factors driving it.

BY Carl Kitchen May 23 2024

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A peek at community attitudes and awareness towards the energy transition

Recent surveys from KPMG, SEC Newgate and the CSIRO have all provided good insights into the community’s attitude to the changes underway in the grid and the way we generate electricity. They also highlight the level of knowledge of what this involves as well as how overall views on the speed of the transition are being influenced by factors like cost-of-living pressures. We take a look at what they found.

BY Tom Monaghan May 16 2024

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Just Transition: Case Studies Highlight Work Underway

With the recent introduction of legislation to establish a Net Zero Economic Authority, there has been a renewed focus on the issue of coal-fired power station closures and how their operators are supporting their employees through the transition. We take a look at four transition program case studies, that are in progress or emerging.

BY Braeden Keen May 16 2024

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Offshore wind feasibility licenses have been granted – what are the proposals and who’s behind them?

The Federal Government has announced the first proposed offshore wind projects to receive a feasibility licence for development of generation in the Gippsland Offshore Wind Zone. We take a look at the proponents and projects.

BY Australian Energy Council May 02 2024

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Australia will soon have a Net Zero Plan – what can we expect?

The Federal Government has promised to develop a Net Zero Plan by the end of the year, which will involve integrating six sector plans to help Australia reach net zero by 2050. But with most sectoral decarbonisation policies focused only up until 2030, some unknowns are emerging about what this Plan might look like and how it intends to merge the sector pathways to promote an orderly and efficient economy-wide transition. We take a look at how this can be achieved.

BY Rhys Thomas May 02 2024

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Report assesses state of play for SMRs

A recent report by a pro-nuclear UK think tank has shone a light on the challenges needed to be overcome to accelerate the development and rollout of small modular reactors (SMRs) globally. While the sees SMRs playing an important role in helping countries decarbonise and impressive growth out to 2050, it is a little less optimistic than some projections and highlights the uncertainties and key hurdles that need to be dealt with. We take a closer look.

BY Carl Kitchen Apr 26 2024

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Negative prices and revenues in the NEM over the past decade

Negative prices have become an increasing feature of the NEM. Here we explore negative spot prices through the lens of negative spot revenues as well as their ratio to positive revenues. Additionally we assess the possible outlook for negative prices/revenues and consider other supply and demand metrics that may influence future negative prices/revenues.

BY Peter Brook Apr 04 2024

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How to make the transition to EVs: Inquiry looks for answers

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water is expected to inquire into and report on the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and has been taking public submissions to inform its considerations. For transport, electrification is the obvious solution to assist this sector begin to decarbonise. Part of the inquiry’s focus is on the issues related to the supply and sale of electricity for EVs and EV integration more broadly. We take a look.

BY David Markham Mar 28 2024

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Spot market prices and revenues - ten years of historical spot prices

Elevated spot prices have received a lot of attention in recent times, and with justification, following the events of 2022. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the suspension of the National Electricity Market (NEM) in June 2022, load weighted prices (LWPs) have declined. We take a look at the price trends over the past decade.

BY Peter Brook Mar 21 2024

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Explainer: Regulated prices and hedging contracts

Each financial year, Government regulators (the Australian Energy Regulator and the Essential Services Commission in Victoria) set regulated prices – the Default Market Offer in New South Wales, South Australia and South-East Queensland, and a separate Victorian Default Offer (VDO). These take effect on 1 July each year. With the release of the latest draft determinations we take a look at how they are set, and how they came about. We also consider retailers’ approaches to contracting, which is considered as part of the default setting process.

BY Australian Energy Council Mar 21 2024

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CER and a changing energy landscape

Australia’s energy landscape is being transformed by the proliferation of consumer energy resources (CER). Already, around one in three Australian homes have solar panels, with one in two expected by 2040, while more than 50,000 small-scale battery systems have been installed in the past seven years. Australia is also predicted to have 22 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2050. A big part of Australia’s energy future is CER, and if well integrated, there will be positive outcomes for all market participants and flow-on benefits for consumers. We take a look at what is being proposed.

BY David Markham Mar 14 2024

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High Profile: Calculating consumption for DMO

A draft decision on the next Default Market Offer (DMO) – the regulated price set by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) – is expected soon, and there has already been speculation on what it might be. There is interest in particular around the AER seeking stakeholder views on whether the way it calculates the load profile for energy users should change, to take into account smart meter data. We take a look at what is proposed and why.

BY Carl Kitchen Mar 14 2024

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Reviewing the Reviews, Part II

The first meeting of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC) for 2024 brought to the fore the extent of change underway in the energy sector. The ECMC’s communique hints at the breadth of reviews and assessments into the energy sector and operations of the National Electricity Market (NEM). It's part of a now long-established pattern. For well over a decade, energy has been at the forefront of policy developments, largely because of the significant changes to our grid. Along with those changes has come a heightened political involvement. With political interest has come a myriad of reviews, assessments and interventions to make the NEM “fit for purpose”. We take a look at the latest ECMC work and the extent of reviews underway.

BY Carl Kitchen Mar 07 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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New Year, new regulated pricing approaches?

Consultations are underway for the setting of the default market offers in 2024. Both the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in Victoria and have released early papers outlining their key areas of focus. In comparing the two approaches, the AER appears to be undergoing a more detailed review, whereas the ESC seems to be more settled in its methodology overall. We take a look at the approaches being undertaken.

BY Jo De Silva Dec 07 2023

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