Analysis

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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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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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Transport Sectoral Plan – A breakdown of how the transport industry will reach net zero

Transport emissions are on track to become Australia’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. To address this, the Federal Government has published its Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Consultation Roadmap, outlining the steps to be taken to align transport with Australia’s efforts to reach net zero emission by 2050. We took a closer look at the roadmap.

BY Tom Monaghan 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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