The Coalition’s nuclear plan is an unwelcome proposal which will slow the energy transition and increase our dependence on gas – a surefire way to drive up energy bills.
In this podcast, we talk to Chalmers, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor, and the head of the Grattan Institute Danielle Wood about power prices, tax pressures and spending reforms
The treasurer’s Tuesday’s appearances were his first after receiving a major rebuff when Anthony Albanese at the weekend quashed any prospect of rejigging the Stage 3 tax cuts in the budget.
The soaring power prices expected to hit Australians are yet another reason the Albanese government should turbocharge its efforts on renewable energy and storage.
Australians are angry about electricity prices and both the federal government and opposition are proposing to cap them. Will this approach work, and what are the risks?
Blue-sky thinking? It’s hard to assess the evidence base for the predicted outcomes of the National Energy Guarantee.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Salim Mazouz, Australian National University; Frank Jotzo, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University e Hugh Saddler, Australian National University
The final design of the National Energy Guarantee promises that the policy will drive down power prices. But there is precious little evidence for this assertion.
The takeup of rooftop solar was much more rapid and widespread than many policymakers predicted.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Australia’s consumer watchdog has concluded that rooftop solar incentives have distorted the market unfairly for those who cannot afford solar panels, and has recommended the scheme ends ten years early.
Energy poverty is no longer restricted to a few older or low-income householders.
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Scott Morrison’s budget speech held no surprises on energy, after months of debate over the National Energy Guarantee. The real news comes in July with the release of a crucial ACCC report on power prices.
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.
Keeping the lights on has always been a stormy issue in South Australia.
Jon Westra/Wikimedia Commons
Two decades ago, the then SA premier, John Olsen, defied a campaign promise and announced plans to privatise the state’s electricity industry. It’s been a high-voltage issue ever since.
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.
Some sectors, like supermarkets, are not natural monopolies, but have significant economies of scale.
Sam Mooy/AAP
New modelling suggests that Australia could use renewable energy to hit its 2030 emissions reduction targets, without it costing any more overall than maintaining the status quo.