Electricity supply
19 November 2019
The politics of electricity reliability
As Australians prepare for a hot and dangerous summer, politicians and energy market agencies are searching for the lowest-cost way to try to ensure the lights stay on.
8 October 2019
Short-term power fixes are breaking the energy market
Every ad hoc solution that governments pile on the energy market is making it harder to deliver the price and security outcomes that politicians and customers want.
9 September 2019
How to keep the lights on in NSW
NSW should be able to cope comfortably with the impending closure of the Liddell coal power station in the Hunter Valley. Here’s how.
9 September 2019
How to keep the lights on in Victoria
Rather than engaging in a blame game, the federal and Victorian governments should take four positive steps to make electricity more affordable and reliable.
12 July 2019
A power struggle that has to end
The policy stand-off between federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor and his state counterparts cannot continue. The sector is too important for its future to be decided by a high-stakes game of chicken.
5 April 2019
Why the world must eliminate coal-fired power within 30 years
The domestic trend is clear: coal looks destined to be replaced by solar and wind generation over the next 30 years. The timing is less certain for the export market.
18 March 2019
LNG row foreshadows the bill that’s due for failed energy policy
Whoever wins the imminent federal election will need to get serious on climate change. The mess that policy uncertainty has imposed on the domestic electricity sector is now being mirrored in gas and coal.
6 March 2019
Clear policy plans needed for cheaper power
Developing a comprehensive, integrated approach to energy and climate policy doesn’t fit the immediate political need. The best we might hope for is minimum harm in the short term, followed by a deep breath and some clear-headed leadership from whoever forms government after the 2019 federal election.
12 February 2019
Only clear policy can give us power supply certainty
The best thing the federal government can do for people worried about electricity reliability is to end the policy uncertainty. It should revive and implement the discarded National Energy Guarantee.
10 February 2019
Blackouts and the politics of power
Increasing extremely hot weather and increasing deployment of solar and wind power create challenges for managing the power system. But Australia has the technologies, tools and systems to cost-effectively meet these challenges without a panic response. We should use them.