Australia’s Renewable Target in Tatters: Major Retailers Shun Wind & Solar, Electing to Pay $Millions in Retail Power Fines Instead

*** In the week just gone, yet another of STT’s predictions unfolded, with devastating consequences for Australia’s Large-Scale RET and the remnants of a battered and beleaguered wind industry. The LRET was slashed in 2015 simply to avoid the political embarrassment of having too little eligible renewable power dispatched to satisfy the 41,000 GWh target … Continue reading Australia’s Renewable Target in Tatters: Major Retailers Shun Wind & Solar, Electing to Pay $Millions in Retail Power Fines Instead

Ian Macfarlane, Greg Hunt & Australia’s Wind Power Debacle: is it Dumb and Dumber 2, or Liar Liar?

  Australia's Energy Minister, Ian “Macca” Macfarlane and his youthful ward, Environment Minister, Greg Hunt are the flies in the Coalition’s political ointment, when it comes to engineering anything like a sensible policy on energy. Both Macfarlane’s and Hunt’s offices are filled with wind industry plants and stooges, like Hunt’s senior adviser, Patrick Gibbons. Patrick … Continue reading Ian Macfarlane, Greg Hunt & Australia’s Wind Power Debacle: is it Dumb and Dumber 2, or Liar Liar?

Senator Matt Canavan: Australia’s RET Policy: “Robin Hood visits Bizarro World”

**** Labor’s energy policy nothing but wind The Australian Matt Canavan 4 December 2014 GEORGE Orwell once said that political language was designed to “give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”. Step forward exhibit A and the Labor Party’s explanation for refusing to fix the mess that is Australian renewable energy policy. Mark Butler … Continue reading Senator Matt Canavan: Australia’s RET Policy: “Robin Hood visits Bizarro World”

Politicians & Business Finally Waking Up to the Massive Costs of the LRET

**** In this post we highlighted the political distinction between the small scale renewable energy scheme (SRES) – which doles out subsidies for rooftop solar – and the Large-Scale RET (LRET) - upon which the debacle that is the wind industry depends. While Greg Hunt and Ian “Macca” Macfarlane have been running around talking up … Continue reading Politicians & Business Finally Waking Up to the Massive Costs of the LRET

Power Punters Face $billions in “Fines” as Mandatory RET Deemed “Doomed to Fail”

**** In our earlier posts (here and here) we outlined the fact that – under the mandatory Renewable Energy Target - retailers are fined $65 per MWh for every MW they fall below the mandated 41,000 GWh annual target: what’s called the “shortfall charge” - follow the links here and here. With less than 23,000 … Continue reading Power Punters Face $billions in “Fines” as Mandatory RET Deemed “Doomed to Fail”