Kill the subsidies and the wind industry dies

In recent weeks the greentard blogs have been overcome with grief as they moan about the almost inevitable consequences of the Coalition’s RET review, the future of the CEFC and now the ARENA fund - yet another taxpayer backed renewable slush fund that faces the chop. Their wailing and gnashing of teeth undermines their specious … Continue reading Kill the subsidies and the wind industry dies

Henry Ergas: the CEFC Labor/Green folly in the extreme

  The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is the brainchild of the Green-Labor alliance that left the Australian taxpayer as the unwilling underwriters of highly speculative wind power ventures that conventional banks won't touch with a barge pole. The CEFC is an outfit living on borrowed time - the Coalition have sworn that it'll be scrapped … Continue reading Henry Ergas: the CEFC Labor/Green folly in the extreme

Labor’s Martin Ferguson: time to scale back RET

Labor's Martin Ferguson bowed out of Parliament (gracefully) last year amid the brawl over the leadership between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. His departure was lamented on both sides of the House as Canberra lost a seasoned policy advocate for mining, industry and enterprise. Martin has just come out swinging about the scale and market … Continue reading Labor’s Martin Ferguson: time to scale back RET

The unpacking of the wind industry death warrant

**** Recently the Climate Speculator ran a story with the title, The report that could kill wind power penned by Dr Jenny Riesz. A catchy title, so we thought it warranted further investigation The 'report' was the  Australian Energy Market Operator's (AEMO) report Integrating Renewable Energy - Wind Integration studies, which is a rather lengthy (121 pages) piece … Continue reading The unpacking of the wind industry death warrant

Judith Sloan: Junking the RET is the right thing to do

Judith Sloan has already entered the STT Pantheon with an earlier piece on the insanity that is the RET (see our post here). Well, the lass with a head for numbers - and smarter than brain pie - is back at it with this sizzling piece from The Australian. Junking energy target is right The … Continue reading Judith Sloan: Junking the RET is the right thing to do

Kill the RET and Save the Poor

The REC Tax that comes with the RET is the most regressive tax of all.  The impact on the poorest and most vulnerable is punishing and has led to the new phrase of our time – “energy poverty”. Germany has disconnected some 800,000 homes from its grid simply because they can no longer afford their … Continue reading Kill the RET and Save the Poor

Miners gang up on the RET

Australia’s miners have carried its economy along on a wave of investment and export growth over the last 20 years – so when they talk – governments listen (see our post here). Here’s a cracking piece by Minerals Council Chief, Brendon Pearson that appeared in The Australian. No end in sight to soaring electricity prices … Continue reading Miners gang up on the RET

The RET helped to kill Alcoa’s Port Henry Aluminium Smelter & 980 jobs

**** Proving Ron Boswell’s statement that: “Australia can have a carbon price and renewable energy targets or viable manufacturing. We can’t have both” – aluminium refiner, Alcoa has just announced that it will pull the plug on its Port Henry smelter near Geelong – with the loss of 980 jobs. Here’s The Australian on another … Continue reading The RET helped to kill Alcoa’s Port Henry Aluminium Smelter & 980 jobs

Dennis Shanahan: time to scrap the “secret” carbon tax

**** The Australian’s Dennis Shanahan has come out swinging against the RET – calling it the “secret” carbon tax that simply has to go. Abbott finds energy to act on ‘secret’ carbon tax The Australian Dennis Shanahan, comment 18 February 2014 AFTER years of shadow boxing, Tony Abbott has finally decided to act on the … Continue reading Dennis Shanahan: time to scrap the “secret” carbon tax