Greens Lash Out At NSW Coal Power Push

 

   
The New South Wales government is believed to be on the verge of granting approval for the development two giant coal or gas fired power stations, drawing criticism from renewable energy supporters in the state and the Australian Greens.
   
According to New South Wales Greens MP John Kaye, "These two power stations would increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent if developed as coal fired electricity generators. If new coal fired power stations can be built in NSW it shows this government is not serious about addressing climate change."
   
The Greens say the Keneally government is relying on a flawed study to justify the need for new baseload power and that a recent Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) report shows even without the two baseload plants, an electricity shortfall is not likely to occur until after the planning horizon at 2018/2019.
 
The Environmental Assessment Reports for each project were released for public comment last year and the applicants responses to those comments have now been placed on the Department of Planning’s website (Mt Piper Extension - Bayswater B)
 
While the Environmental Assessments for the two projects states the projects would be constructed to be ready  for carbon capture and storage at a later date, the Greens say responses from the applicants suggest that the inclusion of CCS as an emissions reduction strategy is unlikely to occur at any time in the future.
 
"Advocates for these carbon intensive power plants cannot hide behind discredited spin such as ‘clean coal’ and carbon capture and storage," Dr Kaye said.
 
The responses to submissions for the Bayswater B project discounts renewable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuel for baseload power. The Greens say this runs contrary to the government's own statements and the efforts for private industry investment in renewable energy projects in NSW. 
 
"Building new fossil fuel baseload plant will devastate the future of renewable energy and energy efficiency in this state and cost tens of thousands of jobs," says Dr Kaye.
 
The NSW Greens have published an online petition calling on the Keneally government to reject  the development of any new coal fired power generation facilities in NSW.
 

ETU Report Backs National Solar Gross Feed In Tariff

 

A report by Access Economics Pty Limited for Electrical Trades Union, Victoria (ETU) has shown that a national gross feed in tariff for solar power in Australia would have far better outcomes for the same money that has been spent over the last 18 months by the Federal Government on the now defunct Solar Homes And Communities Plan.
  
The ETU says that under a gross feed tariff scheme as modelled in the report entitled, "The impacts of a gross feed-in tariff on electricity prices", nearly double the installations of solar power systems could have occurred.
  
According to ETU Branch Secretary Dean Mighell, "If a gross tariff scheme is introduced, householders will only pay a maximum of 2% more through their electricity bills."
  
Access Economics' report states the feed in tariff rate required for a 10-year payback of purchase and installation costs for a 1.5kW solar power system is 31c/kWh in the first year of operation, falling over 10 years to just under 20c/kWh.
  
Over the period 2010 to 2030, the total increase in electricity costs to consumers, in current dollar terms, would be $4,470 million. This equates to an average increase in cost per household of $2 - $6 in 2010, peaking at $11 - $33 per household in 2019 and declining thereafter. In percentage terms, the cost increase per household is 0.6% - 1.8% in 2010, falling to 0.5% - 1.6% by 2019.
  
Access Economics states other benefits that may arise from a national gross feed in tariff  include additional employment within the solar industry, deferment of investment in new network infrastructure, the community being able to directly participate in greenhouse gas reduction, rapid uptake and the provision of support for other climate change policies to achieve their targets.
  
The ETU has written to Ministers Peter Garrett and Penny Wong in addition to Shadow Climate Action Minister Greg Hunt encouraging them to consider the benefits that a national gross feed-in tariff provides.
  
National provider of solar power solutions, Energy Matters, is currently running a petition at FeedInTariff.com.au that calls for a national gross feed tariff scheme be implemented. The petition is supported by the ETU and to date has attracted over 20,000 signatures. 
  

News for Tuesday 02 March, 2010

 

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