Category Archives: Energy

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

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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 →

Posted in Climate change, Energy, Mining | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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?

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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 →

Posted in Energy, Environment, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Gene Tunny

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

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Gene Tunny

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 →

Posted in Energy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Economics of second best in energy policy

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Gene Tunny

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

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Gene Tunny

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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AGL Chief Economist to address ESA Qld on National Electricity Market

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Gene Tunny

As you are no doubt aware, one of the big economic challenges facing Australia at the moment is the high cost of energy. An important aspect of the debate around the cost of energy is the future of the National … Continue reading →

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