ENERGY SECURITY – AUSTRALIA

Price cuts come first over Paris emissions

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 30-Aug-18

Australia’s new Energy Minister Angus Taylor says his top priority in the portfolio will be to pursue measures that will result in lower electricity prices, rather than implementing carbon emission reduction targets under the Paris climate agreement. Taylor will use a Council of Small Business Organisations speech on 30 August to criticise the Opposition’s carbon emissions reduction target, arguing that it reduce the nation’s energy security as coal-fired power stations would be forced to close.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, McKINSEY AND COMPANY

PM’s leadership on knife edge

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Original article by Simon Benson, Dennis Shanahan, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Aug-18

The Federal Government held an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers at Parliament House on the evening of 19 August, amid growing unrest among the Coalition’s ranks over the proposed national energy guarantee. The leadership of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is also under scrutiny, although Christopher Pyne says he still has the support of the majority of cabinet ministers. However, a senior minister has suggested that a leadership challenge is inevitable, while a number of MPs are said to have told Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton that they will support him if he decides to challenge Turnbull.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Turnbull in bid to quash rebellion

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Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 17-Aug-18

The national energy guarantee continues to divide the federal government, amid revelations that Labor has been given a copy of the legislation while Coalition MPs have yet to see it. George Christensen and Andrew Hastie are the latest Coalition MPs to signal their opposition to the inclusion of the Paris agreement’s carbon emissions reduction target in the NEG. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has sought to quell dissent by flagging government intervention to prevent the three largest energy generators and retailers from manipulating electricity prices.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

NEG rebels try to force walkouts

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Original article by Simon Benson, Dennis Shanahan, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Aug-18

The Federal Government is becoming increasingly divided over the national energy guarantee. Some ministers who are believed to have reservations about the NEG are under pressure from backbench colleagues to quit their portfolios and vote against the policy. They are said to include Keith Pitt, the assistant minister to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Meanwhile, Treasurer Scott Morrison has rejected a push to include a price guarantee in the NEG, stating that it is inconsistent with "Liberal values".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Energy rebels challenge PM

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Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly, Greg Bright, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Aug-18

The Coalition’s joint party room meeting backed the national energy guarantee on 14 August, but 10 MPs and senators have signalled that they could vote against the NEG in parliament. They include Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, Andrew Hastie and Barnaby Joyce; they have cited factors such as the NEG’s emissions reduction target and the lack of a price guarantee for their opposition to the policy. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is said to be open to legislating for a price guarantee.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Gas cost killing industry, Dow says

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 14-Aug-18

Dow Chemical’s Australian head Louis Vega has urged support for the National Energy Guarantee, while calling on states and territories to allow new gas developments. He hopes both initiatives will put downward pressure on gas prices, warning that some heavy industries may have to shut down if gas prices remain high. Tomago Aluminium, which is the biggest user of energy in Australia, says the life of the nation’s coal-fired power plants need to be extended to help maintain the stability of the national grid.

CORPORATES
DOW CHEMICAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Power firm eyeing coal plant deal

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Aug-18

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says it is by no means certain that the Coalition’s joint party room meeting will endorse the national energy guarantee on 14 August. He says it would be "appalling" if the NEG is approved, warning that it could result in Australia’s "de-industrialisation". Meanwhile, Delta Electricity chairman Trevor St Baker says the company will build a new high-efficiency, low-emissions coal-fired power station if the NEG is endorsed by Coalition MPs. This could be a replacement for the Hazelwood power station in Victoria or a new one at the site of its Vales Point power station in New South Wales.

CORPORATES
DELTA ELECTRICITY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JBS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, ALCOA OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

PM pushes coal-friendly NEG plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Aug-18

The Federal Government may adopt the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s recommendation to underwrite new dispatchable power generation, which could include coal-fired power. ACCC chairman Rod Sims will brief National Party MPs on the proposal ahead of a joint party room meeting at which the national energy guarantee will be on the agenda. The Labor-led states agreed to allow the NEG to be put to the Coalition’s party room at the recent Council of Australian Governments meeting. However, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is resisting their push for any changes to the NEG’s emissions reduction targets to be enacted via regulation rather than legislation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Victoria digs in on bare minimum NEG demands

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 10-Aug-18

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg will meet with his state counterparts on 10 August to discuss ratifying the National Energy Guarantee. Victoria’s Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio says Frydenberg needs to be prepared to compromise with Labor states on the NEG if they are to agree to it. Victoria’s conditions for agreeing to the NEG include that its renewable emission targets will never go backwards and that future targets are to be set every three years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

Shorten calls for states, feds to do NEG deal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Aug-18

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has urged Labor-led states to support the national energy guarantee at the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 10 August. The Victorian government maintains that the NEG’s carbon emissions reduction target should be subject to regulation rather than legislation, which is the federal government’s preferred approach. The federal Labor party supports the NEG, although it is advocating a higher emissions reduction target than that proposed by the Coalition.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, GETUP LIMITED