Tag Archives: renewables

Regional economic divergence – podcast chat w/ Rob Sobyra, Construction Skills Qld

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Gene Tunny

I’ve reported on how the economic recovery has seen large falls in unemployment rates across Queensland, including in most regions (see Remarkable turnarounds for Townsville, Mackay, and Cairns). But I need to acknowledge that employment growth is still overwhelmingly in … Continue reading →

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National Electricity Market malfunction of June 2022: my latest podcast episode

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Gene Tunny

One of the biggest challenges facing advanced economies is maintaining reliable and reasonably priced electricity as we decarbonise to combat climate change. This year we’ve seen some ominous signs that this may not go well. The war in Ukraine has … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Gene Tunny

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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Senator Canavan explains why he opposes Net Zero by 2050 in my latest Economics Explored episode

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Gene Tunny

In Episode 111 of my Economics Explored podcast, Queensland Senator Matt Canavan explains why he opposes the Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 objective. We have a wide-ranging conversation covering COP26, nuclear energy, hydrogen, China, the US political situation (particularly … Continue reading →

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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

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

Australia’s (and Qld’s) climate change policy predicament

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday, the Financial Times published a blistering op-ed by its Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator Gideon Rachman: Australia is no longer the lucky country (NB pay-walled). It is one of the best summaries of Australia’s current predicament over climate change I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate change, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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

Zombie electricity utilities – upcoming presentation by Professor Manuel Pinho to ESA Qld

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Gene Tunny

The latest issue of The Economist features an excellent article (Wind and solar power are disrupting electricity systems) describing the challenges of integrating renewable energy into electricity systems. It is a timely article, given there is an extensive debate in … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Judith Sloan right to criticise over-reliance on renewable energy

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Judith Sloan, Contributing Economics Editor to the Australian, has a brilliant op-ed in the paper today (see Energy price reveals folly of renewables) criticising policies targeting renewable energy, following the wholesale electricity price spike that occurred in South Australia last … Continue reading →

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