ENERGY SECURITY – AUSTRALIA

Power price warning to Labor states

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 25-Jul-18

The final version of the Federal Government’s national energy guarantee estimates that the average household’s electricity costs would fall by about $550 a year. Previous modelling had suggested that the NEG would reduce electricity bills by about $A400 a year. Meanwhile, the Energy Security Board has warned Labor-led states that investment in green energy programs will be adversely affected if they do not support the NEG at the upcoming Council of Australian Governments meeting. The ESB also says electricity prices will remain high of the NEG is not implemented.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL LIMITED

NEG too costly, say big energy users

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Original article by Perry Williams, Joe Kelly, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Jul-18

The ACTU has expressed concern that the federal government’s proposed national energy guarantee will result in higher electricity prices and ensure that large electricity retailers retain their market power. The ACTU has also questioned whether the NEG will have much impact on carbon emissions. Major industrial users of electricity have also warned that the NEG is unlikely to result in lower electricity prices.

CORPORATES
ACTU, DOW CHEMICAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, RUSAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, QUEENSLAND ALUMINA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Abbott call: pull out of Paris deal

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Jul-18

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says Australia should withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, arguing that it would be the best way to preserve jobs and keep electricity prices down. Meanwhile, the National Party wants its proposed $A5bn government energy fund to be used to finance the construction of at least three new baseload power stations and to both increase the capacity and extend the operational life of existing power stations.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Nationals to demand changes to NEG

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 26-Jun-18

The federal government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee aims to commit power retailers to a secure electricity supply that will meet carbon emissions reduction and reliability targets. National Party MPs met to discuss the NEG on 25 June, and are understood to want its proposed mechanism to be altered so as to favour suppliers of baseload power. Some members of both the Nationals and the Liberal Party are of the view that the NEG should not have an emissions reduction component.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, MINERAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Coalition MPs may cross floor on NEG

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Jun-18

The Coalition remains divided on the issue of the Federal Government’s national energy guarantee, after seven MPs opposed the policy at a joint partyroom meeting on 19 June. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has warned that some Coalition MPs could vote against the policy, and he has expressed concern that senior government ministers seem to be taking the partyroom for granted. Liberal MP Craig Kelly has expressed similar sentiments, and he has not ruled out crossing the floor when parliament votes on the NEG.

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

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