Engerati Oceania
An Engerati snapshot will provide you with background information and additional information about key analysts, content sites, events and search terms that will provide you with enough information to become knowledgeable about a region or topic. Generation Snapshot: Australia
06 Jan 2012
On November 8, 2011, the Australian government passed into law the controversial Clean Energy Bill, which will tax 500 of Australia’s biggest polluters, at a fixed price of US$23 per ton of carbon waste.
What happened
The new Clean Energy Act will compel Australia’s 500 worst polluting companies to pay a fixed tax on their emissions, from 1 July, 2012. Australia’s parliamentary opposition party vows to revoke the law, while environmentalists initially supported and welcomed the tax. At the same time, the mining community warned that the tax would handicap Australia’s all-important coal export industry, at a time of global uncertainty.
Background
The contentious Clean...
16 May 2012
Aussie’s NSW biodiesel plant gets go ahead … while Kiwis prepare for GreenWave’s easy-to-use HEMs … Origin Energy enters record-breaking deal … and NZ smart homes project gets top tech platform!
EnergyBusinessNews.com: New South Wales biodiesel plant ago
Lachlan Colquhoun announced that NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell, gave the green light to a US$273m soybean processing and biodiesel production facility. The Port Kembla, south-Sydney factory will produce soybean meal, used in stock feed, and also soy biodiesel, to be used as fuel.
The plant will produce 288 million litersof biodiesel annually to supply to major companies like Caltex, Xstrata and BHP. The company in charge of the...
17 Jan 2012
Australia’s Labor Party (ALP) has voted to lift the ban on uranium sales to India. The vote, in favor of the reversal of Australia’s uranium sales policy, brings to an end an issue which has long caused diplomatic tensions between Australia and India.
What happened
Australian PM, Julia Gillard’s proposal to revise the ban on sales of uranium to India, in early November 2011, met with both relief and criticism. The suggestion caused a raging debate, public demonstrations and...
24 Apr 2012
Australia research results show smart savings … while out west location determines your FITs ... and Minister cozies up to business for renewable future.
eGovernment Resource Center: Australian smart grid project demonstrates savings
Chris King reported for eMeter that the result of a research study into energy efficiency conducted by Western Power of Australia. The research found that smart meters, the smart grid and solar power can help household cut their electricity bills by as much as 50%.
Energy Matters: Horizon Power to offer location based feed in tariff
Energy Matters said the western Australia-based Horizon Power will offer area-...
07 Feb 2012
Australia is set to pour US$115bn into infrastructure expansion, to accommodate China and India’s desire for coal and iron ore early double global coal trade.
What happened
Bloomberg’s David Fickling reported on the Australian US$115bn infrastructure boom planned to make room for China and India’s want for coal and iron ore. The country plans to add AU$232bn in mineral and energy projects. The projects will near double the global coal, writes Fickling. ...
03 Feb 2012
Australian Flagship Ventures closes venture capital fund US$20m over target; Australia’s shale gas industry is a decade behind the times and massive infrastructural plans to support coal exports to Asia.
SustainableBusiness.com: Australia Seeds Largest Renewable Energy Fund, Flagship Raises VC (venture capital) Fund
As published on SustainableBusiness.com, Australia’s Flagship Ventures closed its latest fund at US$270m. This exceeded its initial target of US$250m.
The fund will invest mainly in clean tech/sustainability and healthcare early-stage companies. Some of the cleantech companies are:
· Joule (pioneering the production of liquid fuel...
28 Apr 2012
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, US$263bn was invested overall in clean energy in 2011.
Read more on the global energy sector.
Source
Pew Trusts: Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? [PDF]
21 Mar 2012
As New Zealand gets ready for EV … Australian consumption heads south … and ‘big analytics’ dig deep!
Scoop.co.nz: Electric vehicles power ahead in approval stakes
The Wellington City Council announced feedback by respondents in its two-year electric vehicle test-drives. The feedback was highly positive, according to the article. Research participants scored the driving experience at 8.5 out of 10. Among other positive results, the test showed that 60% would prefer EV to convention vehicles, given the chance.
With New Zealand’s wireless EV charger being trialed in London and positive...
15 May 2012
Aussie’s NSW biodiesel plant gets go ahead … while Kiwis prepare for GreenWave’s easy-to-use HEMs … Origin Energy enter recording breaking deal … and NZ smart homes project gets top tech platform!
EnergyBusinessNews.com: New South Wales biodiesel plant a go
Lachlan Colquhoun announced that NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell, gave the green light to a US$273m soybean processing and biodiesel production facility. The Port Kembla, south-Sydney factory will produce soybean meal, used in stock feed, and also soy biodiesel, to be used as fuel.
The plant will produce 288 million liters of biodiesel annually to supply to major companies like Caltex, Xstrata and BHP. The company in...
15 Mar 2012
Aussie solar lives on… While New Zealand prepares for EV… And green growth report causes the blues!
Renewable Energy World:Why Solar Flagships’ Peril Wont Derail PV in Australia
Michael Barker for NPD Solar Buzz reported on the failure of Australia’s Solar Flagships. Australia's Solar Flagships program launched in 2009with much fanfare. At first seen as the answer to PV viability in Australia, the program met with early troubles when the government withdrew some of its initial investment. The state then dealt another heavy blow when it announced that it might not proceed...
Visit our archive for Oceania
