ENERGY SECURITY – AUSTRALIA

PM’s scheme an EIS by stealth

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Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Jun-18

The Federal Government’s national energy guarantee is under scrutiny after a draft final report revealed that it will be similar to an emissions intensity scheme. The Coalition’s partyroom had rejected a proposal for an EIS when it was put forward by Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg in 2016. A member of the Energy Security Board has also conceded that the NEG will effectively be an EIS "by stealth" and that it will favour companies which invest in renewable energy. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the partyroom had fully endorsed the NEG.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Renewables rush a risk to industry

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 15-Jun-18

Large electricity users are concerned about the impact of the Federal Government’s national energy guarantee on baseload power supply. Tomago Aluminium CEO Matt Howell argues that some industrial users require competitively priced baseload power around the clock, which renewables cannot guarantee without reliable storage technology. Resources Minister Matt Canavan says coal is still the best option for supplying cheap and reliable baseload power, and he warns that coal would no longer be competitive under Labor’s carbon emissions policy.

CORPORATES
TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MANUFACTURING AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, DULUXGROUP LIMITED – ASX DLX, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, ADELAIDE BRIGHTON LIMITED – ASX ABC, CEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RHEEM AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TESLA INCORPORATED, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Frydenberg confident energy deal can be made

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Original article by Nicole Hasham
The Age – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-18

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says he has held "constructive" discussions with his state counterparts regarding the proposed national energy guarantee ahead of a Council of Australian Governments meeting on 20 April. Frydenberg is optimistic that the states and territories will reach agreement on the final design stage of the NEG. The Victorian, Queensland and Australian Capital Territory governments have reservations about the NEG, particularly its carbon emission reduction targets. Frydenberg has ruled out any compromise to increase the reduction targets.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Hopes lift for pact on power

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Apr-18

The Federal Government will seek in-principle support for its proposed national energy guarantee at an upcoming meeting of the Council of Australian Governments’ energy council. The Australian Capital Territory’s Energy Minister Shane Rattenbury has indicated that he may be willing to support the NEG in return for some concessions from the federal government. Meanwhile, federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg has warned that failure to implement the NEG will result in higher electricity prices.

CORPORATES
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

BCA seeks end to states’ green energy targets

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Mar-18

The Business Council of Australia has called on business to get behind the Federal Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee. It has also urged state and territory governments to abandon their renewable energy targets, claiming that they will undermine the NEG and increase energy prices. The BCA notes that the NEG must be sufficiently flexible to allow energy retailers to be in compliance with carbon emission requirements. Smaller retailers are worried that the NEG will increase power prices, and that it will help larger retailers to further increase their market dominance.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

Low oil stocks a danger to security

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 16-Feb-18

Australia’s emergency oil supply fell to its lowest level in ­almost 20 years during 2017, according to the International Energy Agency. Andrew Hastie, the head of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, says the issue of low emergency oil supplies presents a threat to national security. All IEA members are required to maintain the equivalent of 90 days of net imports as emergency stocks, but the IEA noted that Australia failed to have end-of-month levels at this threshold in all but one month over the five years to the end of 2017.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY

Labor open to a deal on energy

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 19-Oct-17

The Australian Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee will require the support of the federal Opposition and the Labor-led state governments. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says federal Labor is willing to consider the energy plan when the Government provides more detail regarding the policy. Some business leaders have expressed support for the National Energy Guarantee, while Origin Energy has indicated that its Eraring coal-fired power station could potentially keep operating if the policy is implemented.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Strong backing for energy plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Oct-17

The Australian Energy Regulator will be responsible for ensuring that electricity retailers comply with carbon emission reduction targets under the Federal Government’s National Energy Guarantee. The new energy policy also requires electricity retailers to meet reliability standards. Business leaders are generally supportive of the policy, although the Opposition has some concerns about it, while some state governments are highly critical. Former prime minister Tony Abbott maintains that the energy policy should not include an emissions reduction target.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENERGY AND WATER SUPPLY, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL LIMITED

Gas exports ‘starve local firms, jobs’

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 21-Sep-17

The Federal Government will shortly decide whether to impose LNG export controls in response to concerns about a gas shortage in the domestic market. However, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has warned that few alternative options are available, and said local factories may close and shed staff if the Government fails to limit gas export volumes. Sims has also argued that energy sustainability, reliability and affordability are separate issues and each requires a different solution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ESSO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Abbott to ‘cross floor on energy’

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 20-Sep-17

Up to six Coalition backbenchers are said to support former prime minister Tony Abbott in his stance against a clean energy target. Abbott has warned that he would vote against a government bill to introduce a CET, while he has called for Australia to adopt a reliable energy target of 100 per cent in place of a renewable energy target. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has conceded that the RET is too generous, but noted that it was introduced in its current form during Abbott’s prime ministership.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY