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Category: Archive

Archived material from historical editions of The Generator

  • U.S. competes with India and China for Oil

    Former US secretary of defence James Schlesinger, the co-chairman of the group writing a report on US oil dependency, said the oil dependence of China and India should be a concern, noting Beijing had already negotiated with rogue and "near-rogue" states such as Iran and Sudan to secure future oil resources, The Australian Financial Review (20/12/06, p.10) reports.

    Competition with India, China: It also puts the United States in competition with China and India for oil imports, says the report, titled ‘National security consequences of US oil dependency’. “At best these trends will challenge US foreign policy; at worst, they will seriously strain relations between the United States and these countries,” the report by a 26-member group says.

    Managing dependence: "The central task for the next two decades must be to manage the consequences of dependence on oil, not to pretend the US can eliminate it," the report says, adding that energy issues must be integrated with – but not be central to – US foreign policy.

    The Australian Financial Review, 20/12/2006, p.10 Provided by eRisk

  • Energy Australia drops 100% green power

    EnergyAustralia’s 100% GreenPower accredited product, known as PureEnergy 100, will no longer be offered to residential customers as a green energy tariff from 11 December, 2006.

    GreenFuture is no longer offered as a green energy tariff. EnergyAustralia’s new green energy tariffs apply to customers who choose one of EnergyAustralia’s green energy options and are supplied under a contract with EnergyAustralia. The regulated retail tariffs and charges applying from 1 July 2006 remain unchanged.

    Green Energy Tariffs – PureEnergy 10 (10% GreenPower accredited): PureEnergy 10 can be purchased for a contribution of: $12.00 (exc GST) or $13.20 (Ind GST) per quarter for all current residential tariffs: and $15.00 (exc GST) or $16.50 (inc GST) per quarter for current business tariffs where annual consumption is less than 15MWh.

    PureEnergy Premium can be purchased for a contribution of: $99.00 (exc GST) or $108.90 (inc GST) per quarter for all current residential tariffs: and $123.00 (exc GST) or $135.30 (inc GST) per quarter for current business tariffs where annual consumption is less than 15MWh.

    PureEnergy 100 (100% GreenPower accredited): PureEnergy 100 can be purchased for a contribution of 4.2500c/kWh ext GST (4.6750c/kWh inc GST) on the variable energy component (c/kWh rates) for all current busines tariffs.

  • NSW does not have CO2 dumps

    Sourced from eRisk  

    Potential carbon dioxide storage sites in the Gippsland, Bass or Otway Basins are likely to be well beyond coastal waters and therefore subject primarily to Commonwealth legislative power, says a report to the Australian Greenhouse Office.

    No suitable sites in NSW: Geological studies have, as yet, found no suitable site for geosequestration located in New South Wales, and recent policy statements from the NSW Government do not indicate that it is considering geosequestration as a solution to greenhouse emissions.

    NSW Benchmark Scheme: NSW has adopted a unique Greenhouse Benchmark Scheme to address the issue of greenhouse emissions. The scheme requires electricity retailers and other parties to meet mandatory targets for abating the emission of greenhouse gases from electricity production and use. The Greenhouse Benchmark Scheme promotes capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in forests as an activity which will facilitate the issue of an abatement certificate under the Scheme. However, the sequestration of carbon dioxide in onshore or offshore natural Reservoirs is not contemplated.

    Reference: "A Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office on Property Rights and Associated Liability Issues, 2005", p.56-57. Contact: The Communications Director, Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Heritage, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601, email: communications@greenhouse.gov.au website: http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/publications

  • Greens fear federal intervention on WA uranium ban

    Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says the Commonwealth needs to show its hand.

    "I’m certainly concerned about what the Federal Government’s intentions are, and if I was in the State Government I would certainly be trying to find out what the Commonwealth Government’s specific intentions are," she said.

    Senator Siewert says WA should maintain its ban.

    "[I am] deeply concerned that there will be pressure put on the WA Government to change its very strong position against uranium mining," she said.

    "I must say that that’s a stand that we very strongly support and we’re calling on the State Government to maintain the stand opposing uranium mining."

    A spokeswoman for federal Resources Minister, Ian MacFarlane, says uranium bans are costing WA money and the Federal Government continues to encourage the WA Government to repeal its legislative restriction on uranium mining.

    © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

  • Telegraph reminds Tripodi of Reliability Promise

    In November Energy Minister Joe Tripodi claimed that NSW had one of the world’s most reliable energy systems, according to the Daily Telegraph. Mr Tripodi defended the Government’s energy record despite the Nemco report warning NSW faces blackouts at peak times and steep price rises.

    Mr Tripodi was unable to guarantee that the state would not have blackouts this summer. “It would be impossible to predict,” he told Macquarie Radio. “You don’t know what can happen.”

    Mr Tripodi argued the NEMMCO report confirmed the system’s reliability. “We are prepared as much as humanly possible for every possible predictable problem that could come into the system,” he said. But Mr Tripodi admitted the Government was wary of planning for electricity in the long term. “If you invest too early it’s a waste of money because you’ve got idle capacity sitting around and we want to have it there ready when we need it,” he said.

    The Daily Telegraph, 26/10/2006, p. 22

  • National Electricity Grid rigged for big suppliers

    In a study published in the December issue of Economic Papers, economist Lynne Chester says that, eight years since the national electricity market was announced formally, it is “national in name only”.

    She argued the trend actually has been the other way, with a small number of generating companies dominating the areas in which they operate, the 19 retail companies in 1995 falling to eight and the reintegration of generation with retail operations.

    Limited capacity for interconnections across state borders means there are live regional markets rather than one national market. Competition is supposed to keep prices down but instead Chester has found evidence of price manipulation by the large generation companies.

    Prices for residential consumers have gone up in real terms “and the immediate outlook is for further increases”, she wrote.