Queenslanders cut back essentials to pay costly summer power bills: iSelect
Many Queensland households are cutting back on essentials like groceries to help them cover their upcoming summer power bills. That’s the finding of YouGov Galaxy research commissioned by price comparison site iSelect. It reveals 1.1 million Queenslanders struggling to pay energy bills. This means 63 per cent of Queenslanders are making cutbacks ahead of the […]
AGL chief says Federal Government ‘big stick’ approach to energy market is ‘draconian’
Energy giant AGL says the Morrison Government’s proposed big stick energy regulations will damage Australia’s energy market. In a submission to government, AGL says the ‘Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2018’, currently before the House of Representatives, will make the electricity grid less reliable. It referred to the proposed penalties as “extreme and […]
Bill Shorten renewable energy plan: Labor pledges community power hub for Tathra NSW
The Bill Shorten renewable energy plan includes a pledge to establish a community power hub in the NSW seaside town of Tathra if he becomes Australia’s next Prime Minister, the Bega District News reports. If it goes ahead, the program will be Australia’s first community-owned power hub. The exact location of the Tathra hub is yet […]
Townsville powers up first community-scale battery in the Sunshine State
A large-scale Townsville battery will be Queensland’s first grid-scale battery to back up a transition toward solar and renewable energy. Excess energy from 20,000 local solar power systems will charge the 4 MW Tesla battery during the day, providing residents with steady power during peak load periods. In addition, the Queensland government has singled out energy […]
Victorian Energy Minister attacks coal fired energy as Victorian generators fail in heat
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio says coal fired energy is failing Victorians, following state blackouts leading up to the Australia Day weekend. An extreme heat event meant extra pressure on the Victorian grid with up to 200,000 Victorians experiencing short power cuts as the grid failed to meet demand. The emergency blackout followed the failure […]
Tech giants lead as global corporations break clean energy records: Bloomberg
Tech giants Facebook and Google led the renewable charge in 2018 as global corporations broke clean energy records. Corporations worldwide bought 13.4 gigawatts of renewable energy through long-term contracts, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports. This more than doubled 2017 figures, shattering previous records. Facebook Inc accounted for more than 2.6 GW of clean energy deals […]
Tassie solar users switch to battery storage as feed-in tariff cut by a third
Tasmanian solar PV owners frustrated by a dramatic solar feed-in tariff reduction are turning to home batteries. Aurora Energy’s formerly generous 1:1 tariff meant residential solar PV owners used to get zthe same amount for uploading electricity as they were paying for it. This feed-in tariff of 26c per kWh applied to those who installed […]
Rooftop solar growing faster in ACT than any other Australian state: Green Energy Trading
Rooftop solar for homes and businesses is growing at a faster rate in the ACT than any other Australian state or territory. Data from Green Energy Trading (GET) shows the Australian Capital Territory more than doubled annual growth in solar installations last year. The ACT added 22.8 MW of solar PV capacity in 2018, reports the […]
Privatisation and federal government ‘big stick’ push electricity prices up: Australia Institute report
Waste in the privatised electricity market is forcing electricity price increases by more than $200 per year for the average consumer. That’s the verdict of a report by the Australia Institute. ‘The Costs of Market Experiments’ report also claims the Morrison Government’s ‘big stick’ approach to correct bad market practice will make things worse. That’s […]
Surviving summer heatwaves: 4 ways to keep your cool
Those of us in the south-east will be experiencing a heatwave this week. In Adelaide, for example, a maximum of 45 degrees is forecast today, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Port Augusta in South Australia is also in for a hot one with the mercury tipped to reach 49! Apart from concerns about bushfires, […]
