The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Northern Territory’s inquiry into fracking and unconventional gas development. The Canberra-based research organisation finds that fracking would reduce energy security and could represent a net economic loss to the Territory. Energy security would be reduced because the NT already has plenty of conventional gas to cover

New polling shows that more than twice as many Australians (56%) support moratoriums on fracking as oppose them (20%), despite concerted lobbying from the gas industry to allow them further access to land. The poll, conducted by The Australia Institute, asked respondents if they support or oppose state bans on fracking. Question: Some states and

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has acknowledged the need for a key reform in the 5-minute settlement rule, but in the same statement said it does not plan to implement the rule change for 3 years. The ‘5-minute rule’ would help address price spikes and load shedding by changing market price periods. This would

New polling shows that despite a concerted campaign from sectors of the federal government and coal and gas industries, public support remains very high for renewable energy, and for the strengthening of state and federal targets.  The poll, conducted by The Australia Institute through Research now, asked a representative sample of 1420 Australians about renewable

‘5-minute rule’ identified as key to immediate and responsible fix for peak-load issues. The Australia Institute has today published an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for three market reforms to address the ‘energy trilemma’: security, cost and emissions. The letter appears as a full-page advertisement in the Australian Financial Review. Prominent signatories of

ReachTEL polling for The Australia Institute of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, has shown strong support for Labor’s renewable energy target and opposition to government backing of the Adani coal mine.   Polling of the marginal Queensland electorate showed very strong opposition to subsidies going to the Adani Carmichael mine project. [FULL RESULTS IN

As the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) considers a $1 billion concessional loan to foreign coal company Adani, a new report from The Australia Institute raises major concerns about the NAIF’s political independence, governance, resourcing and public transparency. Widespread media coverage during December that NAIF had ‘conditionally approved’ the $1 billion proposal was

New polling of Dawson, the seat held by George Christensen, conducted by ReachTEL, commissioned by The Australia Institute, shows support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party at level pegging with the LNP at 30% of the primary vote. Issue-based questions in the same poll revealed strong support in Dawson for an increase to the renewable

The Australia Institute says Turnbull must discuss coal with Jokowi Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit Australia this weekend, as The Australia Institute releases new research on Indonesian energy policy. The Institute has called for coal, energy and climate to be on the agenda for talks with President Widodo. Australia and Indonesia are the world’s

As the mining boom ends, the mining clean-up boom is beginning. New research from The Australia Institute released today shows that there is minimal information available to the public on how the clean-up is progressing. The report, Dark side of the boom: What we do and don’t know about mines, closures and rehabilitation in New

New polling conducted by ReachTEL for The Australia Institute of the electorates represented by Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott reveals strong opposition for cutting the tax rate, particularly for larger companies. Both electorates registered more support for increasing the company tax rate than cutting it. In the Prime Minister’s electorate of Wentworth 43% supported an

The Australia Institute have today published an open letter to the Prime Minister outlining the unasked and unanswered economic questions regarding the Adani Carmichael mine proposal and its potential public subsidisation of $1 billion. The letter appears as a full-page advertisement in the Australian Financial Review. The questions put: 1 –  Will the Adani mine

Australians don’t want their money funding infrastructure for coal and gas companies under the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), national polling released today reveals. The NAIF will spend $5 billion of public funds in Northern Australia on infrastructure that is unable to attract commercial financing, which could include subsidising the controversial Adani Carmichael

The Australia Institute has assessed the proposal for a $5 levy on iron ore in Western Australia. The policy should be supported as a pragmatic alternative to a resource rent tax. The analysis finds that if the $5 levy had been imposed on relevant production over the last five years it would have raised $11.5

Australians favour international law to determine Timor maritime boundary between Timor-Leste and Australia, even if that delivers Timor-Leste a substantial share of the oil and gas in the Timor Sea. The poll of 10,271 residents across Australia showed 56.5% support for establishing a maritime boundary in accordance with current international law, with only 17% opposed

A new report by the University of Melbourne Energy Institute has found that unmeasured methane leakage and fugitive emissions from unconventional gasfields could cause Australia to fail its Paris climate commitments. The report, commissioned by The Australia Institute, found that: Several major potential sources of methane emissions are assumed to be zero under Australia’s accounting

Gas industry funding and direct involvement in research committees of GISERA, the research body that conducts research on social and environmental impacts of CSG, is potentially compromising the scientific independence of CSIRO. The five main Queensland gas companies provide the lion’s share of funding to the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) – the Gas Industry Social

1,473 South Australians were asked if they supported a Victoria-style ban on gas fracking in their state. Twice as many (47%) support a ban than are opposed (23%). 30% were undecided. The polling was conducted on 30 August, as Victoria introduced its ban and in the weeks following the furore around energy prices in South

The Australian government’s settlement with the owners of a coal ship represents another subsidy to the coal industry. With the government settling for $39.3 million while estimating clean up costs of $140 million, the difference represents a cost to taxpayers and or our environment of over $100 million. It’s not clear whether the Australian government

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world for renewable energy R&D. Data from the International Energy Agency puts Australia on the podium just once since 1979.  Meanwhile, Australia has poured the vast bulk of our R&D dollars into fossil fuel. (See full medal tally below) “Australia has a long history of prioritising fossil

Polling shows that just 23% of New South Wales residents want the Senate to pass the government’s proposed $1 billion cut from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. 53% of those surveyed want the members of the upper house to veto the move. The cuts would effectively decommission ARENA, a long held position of the Abbott-Turnbull

Queenslanders resounding oppose government moves to cut the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, which invests in renewable energy projects and innovation. ReachTEL conducted a survey of 1,701 residents across Queensland during the evening of 30th August 2016. Question: The Australian Renewable Energy Agency funds new renewable energy construction and research in Australia. Should the Senate pass

A new national poll shows Australians overwhelmingly support for strong climate policies which would phase out fossil fuels with a mechanism similar to that recommend by the Climate change Authority. Voters also want the Senate to reject proposed funding cuts to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The ReachTEL poll commissioned by The Australia Institute

The Victorian Government’s decision to ban fracking is based on sound economic and energy policy.   Queensland’s experiment in unconventional gas has demonstrated that the economic benefits promised by the gas industry largely failed to materialise, and there has been an enormous downside to other industries.   Arguments that the gas is needed have rung hollow as Australian domestic gas demand

A new report from The Australia Institute explores what the petroleum industry can do to simultaneously pursue its financial interests and the interests of the global climate. The report, written by Australian National University Emeritus Professor Andrew Hopkins, outlines four key areas where the oil and gas industry’s interests align with the global goal of

The report examines 6 highly controversial QLD resource projects and reveals a pattern of political donations, remarkable access to ministers, unaccountable lobbying, cash for access, and the revolving door between the bureaucracy and industry. All of these projects received extraordinary outcomes including policy changes, project approvals and even legislative changes.   The report also highlights the strong connection of these companies to QLD

Extreme price spikes in the South Australian electricity market sees gas generators taking advantage of a market failure at the expense of businesses and households. The Australia Institute’s report from 2013, Cooking up a price rise, accurately predicted that export parity pricing would drive up domestic gas prices. Meanwhile, South Australia has one of the

Previously unreleased polling shows that almost three quarters of the federal electorate of New England support Australia gradually transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030. In comparison, the Shenhua coal mine is rejected by a majority of National Party voters and almost two thirds of voters overall. Dan Cass, strategist at The Australia Institute, said,

The coal industry has always been a minor employer in Queensland. At its peak it employed fewer people than the arts and recreation industry, but in recent years has shrunk further, shedding 10,000 jobs in Queensland and now representing less than 1 percent of the state’s workforce. “Our Research shows that the coal industry makes

New report identifies the progress of electricity storage technologies, which have become highly competitive on price as well as being popular with the public.  “The combination of batteries paired with variable renewable energy such as solar and wind can now provide security of electricity supply, with zero emissions,” Australia Institute strategist and report author, Dan