The rules governing Australia's electricity market are more than 20 years old and no longer serve consumers, or climate action. But big energy companies are using COVID-19 to delay reform.
Australian winemakers have lost smoke-tainted crops and political leaders apparently cannot solve the Murray Darling crisis. Perhaps climate change is getting the better of us.
The renewables revolution is starting to pay off: our electricity bills are set to fall.
AAP/Julian Smith
Tim Nelson, Griffith University and Alan Rai, University of Technology Sydney
After a decade of rising electricity bills, prices are projected to fall thanks to new renewable generation.
Gas burning at Victoria’s Longford Gas Conditioning Plant. Australia is the world’s largest exporter but intends t import gas to shore up local supplies.
Joe Castro/AAP
If Australia is the biggest gas exporter in the world, why are we shipping it back in? Because the gas market is dysfunctional - and it means consumers are suffering.
Power failure. It’s gas, not wind, that’s pushing up electricity prices.
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The federal government has floated the idea of underwriting new coal-fired electricity generation in a bid to keep power prices low. But doing so would be a defiance of economic and environmental reality.
Energy bills are becoming to complex to understand.
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Joachim Seel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Andrew Mills, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Large-scale solar and wind tend to push energy prices down, which sounds great as a consumer. But that makes keeping the grid in constant balance harder.
Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher, speaking on Q&A.
ABC Q&A
On Q&A, Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said South Australia's high electricity prices were "the consequence" of Jay Weatherill's renewable energy policies. Is that right?
Policymakers need to be smart about the smart meter rollout.
AAP Image/David Crosling
You may already have a smart meter at home, which monitors your electricity use at 30-minute intervals. But until you can access that data yourself, you could be missing out on the best power deals.
The storm clouds have been gathering over energy policy for a decade or more.
Joe Castro/AAP Image
The Long Read: Most Australians' power bills have been rising for a decade. There are many reasons why, but the common thread is a lack of government willingness to get to grips with crucial policy problems.
At the end of 2017, Australia is starting to (slowly) address our energy problems. But it's also clear the federal government has abdicated leadership and responsibility.
Infrastructure construction – including poles, wires and substations – has far outstripped peak demand.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
One way to cut your household bills could be to deal with just one company for all your utility needs. With today's technology, it's an idea that's not so far fetched as it sounds.
Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg surrounded by members of the government’s Energy Security Board.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The big questions about Malcolm Turnbull’s energy policy will be, for consumers, what it would mean for their bills and, for business, how confident it can be that the approach would hold if Bill Shorten…
Under the scheme, power companies would have twin obligations imposed on them by the government.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The government is set to unveil its long-awaited energy plan that would scrap subsidies for renewables and impose obligations on power companies to source a certain proportion of 'reliable' supply.