Category Archives: Energy

Gov’t and renewables making disproportionate contributions to demand growth in Qld

The September quarter National Accounts published by the ABS yesterday revealed that the general government sector made a disproportionate contribution to Queensland state final demand growth that quarter, suggesting a strong pick up in the hiring of public servants, contractors, … Continue reading

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COP26 chat with Grattan’s Tony Wood – climate change, renewables, nuclear, and coal

In Economics Explored Episode 108, leading Australian energy and climate change policy expert Tony Wood from the Grattan Institute explains what COP26, the 2021 climate change conference in Glasgow, is all about and why it’s important. Tony discusses what “Net Zero … Continue reading

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The role of nuclear energy in decarbonising economies – my latest podcast episode

Last Wednesday, I recorded a conversation with my Adept Economics colleague Ben Scott about the research project he completed on nuclear energy as part of an ANU Parliamentary Internship, a program which saw him placed in Queensland Senator Matt Canavan’s … Continue reading

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Does nuclear energy have a future in Australia?

In my Economics Explored episode on decarbonisation, I quoted Bill Gates from his latest book regarding the one-sentence case for nuclear energy: …it’s the only carbon-free energy source that can reliably deliver power day and night, through every season, almost … Continue reading

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Decarbonising the Economy – my latest podcast episode

The latest episode of my Economics Explored podcast is on the topic of decarbonising the economy. My monologue is based on a talk I gave last Tuesday to the First Tuesday Club forum hosted by the Brisbane Dialogues group at … Continue reading

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My takeaways from QAO Energy Report: Qld Gov’t should have offloaded energy assets years ago and NEM is dysfunctional

The Queensland Audit Office’s Energy 2020 Financial Report has been making news (e.g. in the Brisbane Times), although not for the same reasons I think it’s important. It demonstrates, to me at least, that Queenslanders are worse off because the … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Queensland Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dynamic pricing economics & ethics podcast discussion

My latest podcast episode is on the economics and ethics of dynamic pricing, as used by Uber and airlines among other businesses. I spoke yesterday with Ben Scott, Research Officer at my business Adept Economics, and you can listen to … Continue reading

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Let’s keep the “Renewable energy jobs surge” in perspective

Yesterday the ABS released its latest renewable energy jobs estimates and its media release reported a Renewable energy jobs surge on the back of solar. My colleague Nick Behrens from QEAS tweeted about the new data and produced the chart … Continue reading

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Economics of second best in energy policy

Australia’s energy policy is such a confusing mess that the Australian’s economics editor Judith Sloan actually supports the ACCC’s dubious call (in its Electricity Pricing Inquiry Final Report) for the Australian Government to act as a buyer of last resort … Continue reading

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Qld Government wants electricity GOC dividends to do double duty

Yesterday’s media release from the Queensland Premier and Energy Minister on the $2 billion Affordable Energy Plan appears to have been prepared without Queensland Treasury input, as it is very loose in its discussion of the budget impact. The media … Continue reading

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