Energy Matters Video News – Episode 62 – March 29, 2012

This week, Virginia reports on Australia's largest privately funded rooftop solar panel system, a study finding Australia's electricity pricing among the highest in the world, the CEC crushes claims made by made by South Australian Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond and US President Barack Obama ridicules the anti-solar lobby.

Presented by Energy Matters team member Virginia, we take a look at some of the stories from Australia and around the world recently added to our renewable energy news section.

This week, Virginia reports on Australia’s largest privately funded rooftop solar panel system to be constructed by Energy Matters, a study finding Australia’s electricity pricing among the highest in the world, the CEC crushes claims made by made by South Australian Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond and US President Barack Obama ridicules the anti-solar lobby.

In this episode:


– NEXTDC and Energy Matters have announced a deal to build what will be Australia’s largest privately owned and funded rooftop Solar PV system.
The 400kW system to be installed on NEXT DC’s Port Melbourne Data Centre, M1, will commence construction next month. The system will generate around 550 megawatt hours of electricity annually, offsetting over 670 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Read more.

– A recent study shows pricing for residential electricity supply in Australia is among the highest in the world, with South Australia at the top of the list. The study was compiled by the Energy Users Association of Australia, and compared household electricity prices in 91 jurisdictions around the world. It found average prices in Australia are now higher than those in Japan, the European Union, the USA and Canada. Read more.

– The Clean Energy Council says recent claims made by South Australian Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond that renewable energy is a major contributor to the state’s expensive electricity prices are incorrect. The CEC states a recent report from the Australian Electricity Market Commission showed large scale renewable energy made up for just a few percent of the increases to electricity bills. 26% of South Australia’s electricity was sourced from wind power last year, more than was generated by coal fired power stations. Read more.

– US President Barack Obama has ridiculed the anti solar lobby’s criticisms of the solar industry and has again called for an end to the $4 billion US subsidies to the oil sector. In response to a member of Congress who called jobs in the renewable energy industry “phony”, President Obama compared anti-solar lobbyists to the Flat Earth Society of Columbus’ times. Read more.

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