Research // Energy from Fossil Fuels
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December 2015
Two Birds, One Little Black Rock
A new report by The Australia Institute outlines a solution to the twin problems of incentives for retirement of coal fired generation and funding rehabilitation liabilities.
August 2015
Switching off gas – An examination of declining gas demand in Eastern Australia
This research was supported by funding from The Australia Institute and other groups, and conducted by the University of Melbourne Energy Institute. Dramatic changes in the eastern-Australian gas market are prompting projections of sharp declines in domestic gas demand. Data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) indicate that gas demand in eastern Australia peaked
June 2015
Get Regular Excise:The case to reindex the fuel excise
The Howard Government decision in 2001 to cut indexation has cost the budget more than $46 billion in tax revenue to date. If no change is made the total cost to the budget is projected to top $160 billion by 2025. Additional carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the policy are projected to reach 16 million
January 2015
The Dash from Gas: Could demand in New South Wales fall to half?
UPDATE: The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on 13 April 2015 released a report confirming the slump in gas demand. At the time of the initial release of The Dash from Gas report, the industry and many politicians continued to warn of a potential ‘gas shortage’. A new report commissioned by The Australia Institute shows gas
April 2014
SUBMISSION: Cobbora coal project
The Cobbora proposal is to develop an open cut coal mine near the towns of Gulgong and Dunedoo, east of Dubbo, NSW. The mine would extract up to 20 million tonnes per annum of run of mine coal. The mine is proposed by the NSW government-owned Cobbora Holding Company. Our submission focuses mainly on the
March 2014
SUBMISSION: Wallarah 2 coal project
The proposal is to develop an underground coal mine near Wyong, situated between Newcastle and Sydney, NSW. The mine would extract up to 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of coal which would require little further processing to reach saleable quality. The mine has attracted controversy due to its potential impacts on the local environment,
Briefing Note: Debunking Solving for ‘x’ – The NSW Gas Supply Cliff
This week energy company AGL released a research paper entitled Solving for ‘x’ – the New South Wales Gas Supply Cliff. The paper contains plenty of economic terms and algebra, but these merely serve to provide camouflage for another reiteration of the gas industry’s claims – that NSW is running low on gas and the
November 2013
Is fracking good for your health?
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Australia needs to change the way it uses energy and many of those changes will be taking place over the next decade. Our current reliance on coal is unsustainable, while Australia’s considerable reserves of unconventional gas – tight, shale and coal seam gas (CSG) – are raising controversy after being
June 2013
Climate of the Nation 2013: Australian attitudes on climate change
The Climate Institute has been measuring the ebbs and flows of Australian attitudes to climate change and its solutions through its Climate of the Nation research and reports since 2007.
June 2012
Climate of the Nation 2012: Australian attitudes on climate change
This Spotlight Report provides an objective benchmark of attitudes to the issue of climate change in 2012 in Australia and a rigorous analysis, qualitative and quantitative, of the pros and cons of climate change and its solutions.
May 2011
On the wrong track: The case for abandoning the promised $7 billion subsidies to Australia’s dirtiest coal-fired power stations
The Gillard Government is committed to introducing a price on carbon pollution by July 2012 however the details of the price, the sectors of the economy that will be covered by the scheme and the design features of the compensation package that is likely to accompany the carbon price are currently being negotiated by the
April 2011
The industries that cried wolf
The introduction of a carbon price in Australia in July 2012 will raise more than $10 billion per year, help influence industrial and household decision making and, inevitably, increase the costs and reduce the profits of some businesses. Such increases in cost and the subsequent change in behaviour are, of course, the objective of introducing
February 2011
Complementary or contradictory? An analysis of the design of climate policies in Australia
Contrary to popular belief, the policies that are most effective in driving down greenhouse gas emissions actually raise revenue rather than cost the budget money. The Gillard Government has recently scrapped, or wound back, a range of policies designed to help reduce greenhouse gasses in order to ensure the budget returns quickly to surplus. These
September 2010
Running on empty? The peak oil debate
Like climate change, the possibility of peak oil poses an uncomfortable challenge to citizens and governments alike in the 21st century. ‘Peak oil’ is the term used to describe the point in time at which the worldwide production of crude oil extraction will be maximised. But while it is inevitable that production will peak at
June 2010
Climate of the Nation 2010: Australians’ attitudes towards climate change and its solutions
The Climate Institute has commissioned both quantitative and qualitative market research on the attitudes of the Australian public on climate change and climate change solutions, for the past three years. This research aims to understand and track Australians’ attitudes to climate change and policy over the past year, as well as identify and track issues,
January 2010
Submission on the treatment of new waste coal mine gas power generation in the RET
Energy market reform and greenhouse policy are complex areas of public policy. It is unlikely that those who designed the current RET/CPRS set out to encourage coal mines to burn their waste methane rather than use it to generate electricity, but that is precisely what is being proposed. This problem can be simply fixed by
October 2009
Harder to do than to say?
Coal-fired power stations comprise the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, accounting for 36 per cent of total emissions in 2008. Any determined effort to tackle what Prime Minister Rudd has referred to as the ‘moral challenge’ of climate change would presumably seek to reduce emissions from that source significantly. The proposed Carbon
June 2008
Climate of the Nation 2008: Australian attitudes to climate change and its solutions
In the aftermath of what has been described as the world’s first “climate change” election, public interest remains strong on climate issues. The public appear to be cautiously sceptical about the major parties and their commitment to climate change. There remains a strong desire for further initiatives backed by meaningful targets.
January 2008
June 2007
Climate of the Nation 2007: Australians’ attitudes to climate change and its solutions
The Climate Institute has commissioned both qualitative and quantitative market research on the attitudes of the Australian community to climate change and climate change solutions over the past year. This paper summarises research by the Australian Research Group (ARG) and draws on broader market research on public opinion on climate change. This report is the
May 2005
November 1999
Common Misconceptions in the Climate Change Debate
A submission to the Senate Environment References Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming
Subsidies to the aluminium industry and climate change
A submission to Senate Environment References Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming