As pressure to find sustainable, ‘clean’ methods of energy production mounts, engineers are seeking to harness the power of waves. Already in the planning stages are wave energy projects in Texas, China, Australia and India. In Europe, Scottish company Pelamis Wave Power is among those tapping into wave energy. Three of its 750 kw wave [...]

The sudden end to Western Australia’s solar feed in tariff yesterday for new connections has been widely criticised by the solar industry and its supporters. WA’s Energy Minister Peter Collier announced yesterday morning the state’s cap for participation in its feed in tariff initiative had been reached and was to be immediately suspended. The state had set [...]

ANOTHER foreign energy giant is investing in the notion that the tearaway success of the US shale gas industry can be repeated in Australia. This time it is Britain’s BG Group that has got behind plans to test Australia’s shale gas potential. It has struck a strategic alliance with ASX-listed Drillsearch Energy covering Drillsearch’s shale [...]

A visit by the federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet and South Australian Premier Mike Rann to a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in suburban Adelaide has highlighted the economic benefits from growth in renewable energy in the state. Mr Combet said the recently announced new Clean Energy Finance Corporation will [...]

“I don’t mind paying a bit on carbon so long as I understand why we’re doing this and what we get.” Despite the misinformation and scaremongering going around, that dad and his family, like millions of others, are unlikely to be out of pocket under Australia’s scheme to cut pollution. It’s the 500 heaviest carbon-polluting [...]

AUSTRALIA will keep spewing out more and more greenhouse gas emissions until the late 2020s even though Julia Gillard has promised to cut them before that. We’ll dig up twice as much coal in 2050 as we do now, even though Tony Abbott reckons coal will be a “goner” by then. Although our emissions are [...]

  The Australian government’s plan for a Clean Energy Future contains a number of measures aimed at supporting farmers and land managers to provide emissions offsets. The plan consists of a mix of market-based and directly funded actions, covering some of the territory put forward by the Coalition, but on a much larger scale. Farming and [...]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is adamant her plan to close coal-fired power stations will not threaten Australia’s energy supply. The Government says it wants to close some power stations, with Hazelwood in Victoria thought to be at the top of the list. Ms Gillard says the Government will work with local communities to try to [...]

Virgin Australia today announced that it has partnered with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (DYMTF) and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming community and the environment. In a world first, the consortium plans to use innovative [...]

THE Greens’ plan to shut down the coal industry has been met with anger from Paget business people, who say the move would destroy our region. Greens leader Bob Brown’s policy to phase out the industry would result in 200,000 jobs lost across Australia, but Commercial Mine Recyclers owner Peter Bourke said it wouldn’t just [...]