With exports to key markets declining, Indonesia’s huge coal industry is pinning its hopes on expansion of domestic coal use. Current policy would triple numbers of coal-fired power stations and ignore Indonesia’s huge renewable energy potential.

The Prime Minister and Energy Minister ignored advice from AEMO that renewables were not to blame for the SA blackout. In the afternoon of 28 September 2016, a huge storm raged through South Australia, knocking over multiple power lines and triggering a stage-wide blackout. Almost immediately, politicians blamed the blackout on the relatively high concentration

New polling conducted by ReachTEL for The Australia Institute of the electorates represented by Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott reveals very strong support for increasing and not cutting Australia’s renewable energy target. 57% of Tony Abbott’s constituents oppose his proposal to cut the RET. 59% of Malcolm Turnbull’s electorate oppose the cut while just 28%

Australia has a long history of prioritising fossil fuels over renewables in research and development (R&D) funding. ARENA turned this around, making Australia a world leader in renewables. Government plans to cut ARENA’s funding while providing new funds for fossil fuel R&D risks putting Australia back decades in energy R&D.

Post-election polling of 2875 voters from across Australia showed the majority of Labor, Green and Independent voters prefer negotiations with cross bench MPs to form government rather than calling another election. 47.0% of all respondents support negotiations with independents and minor parties to form government while 46.3% said ‘call another election’. — Polling results in

The Australian Energy Market Commission is considering a proposal to introduce a new rule in the national electricity market. The 5 Minute Settlement Rule Change is a very technical but important rule, which the Australia Institute believes would increase competition. Currently, gas peaking plants provide the energy to respond to rapid changes in demand. If

Climate of the Nation is Australia’s longest running survey benchmarking community attitudes on climate change.

The Australia Institute has modelled the number jobs in the clean energy sector which would be created to meet the renewable energy targets proposed by political parties this election.  All parties are talking about jobs and economic opportunities in the lead up to the 2016 federal election. The report estimates the number of jobs that

Battery and other energy storage technologies are ready to solve the problem of variability of renewable energy. This report includes new polling showing high public support in Australia for battery storage technology and parties that promote decentralised solar and storage for household use. Report surveys price reductions in renewable energy and battery technologies. It also

The ACT government has set leading policies for clean energy and fossil fuel divestment. Public polling reported here shows high levels of support, both within the ACT and around the country. 

A Renewable Energy Target (RET) of 50 per cent by 2030 is likely to put downward pressure on electricity prices. There is a large body of research, using a number of different methods, that has looked at the effect of the RET’s 2020 target on electricity prices. They have broadly come to same conclusion. Higher

A new report identifies huge potential investment in solar power, not just wind, is dependent on a stable, strong large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET). The Large Scale Solar and the RET report also suggests that a 40% target would provide an earlier tipping point to trigger major solar investment.

Australia has some of the best conditions in the world for producing solar energy, and new research suggests it is also the nation’s preferred future energy option. This paper considers various advantages and disadvantages of harnessing energy from the sun.  It finds the health and environmental impacts of solar to be minimal in comparison to

Wind power is one of the least greenhouse gas intensive energy sources available and Australia has some of the best wind resources in the world. With the potential to produce up to 40 per cent of Australia’s energy need, wind power presents a great opportunity for reducing our national greenhouse gas emissions and heavy reliance

The Renewable Energy Target (RET) has been subjected to a lot of criticism in recent years. Most of it has centred on the idea that the RET increases electricity prices. Numerous studies including the government’s recent review of the RET have shown that over time it is lowering electricity prices. But the criticism has also

South Australia leads the country in several aspects of renewable energy development. The state has the highest installed capacity of wind generation – more than 1,200 megawatts. In 2013-14, 37 per cent of electricity generated in the state came from wind and rooftop solar, more than any other state in the country. South Australia’s wind

This paper focuses on the solar industry in Australia. It provides a brief overview of the size, growth and prospects for the Australian solar industry and argues that as the number of solar panels installed continues to rise, the cost of installation and maintenance will continue to fall. The paper argues that the productivity of

Australians love renewable energy. A recent survey by The Australia Institute found 86 per cent of respondents want to see more renewable energy and 79 per cent think governments should support an expansion in renewable energy. There is also very strong support for more electricity generated from hydro (72 per cent), wind (80 per cent)

The Renewable Energy Target (RET) has been a very successful policy at reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by increasing renewable energy generation. This submission from The Australia Institute recommends that the RET be strengthened to take advantage of the imminent retirement of gas fired electricity generation from the NEM.  This submission will focus on three

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.

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.