Energy Economics
The ACT government is leading the way on emissions reduction in Australia. Many organisations are looking at the Federal government’s failure to legislate an emissions trading scheme as a great uncertainty that will need to be resolved before taking action. The ACT government has instead viewed the Federal impasse as an opportunity to take a [...]
Energy Economics, Featured
Google has just signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with a 114 MW wind farm in Iowa. The terms of the deal are unique in the US, and may serve as a template for future projects. The renewable energy sourced under this agreement contributes to Google’s plan to become carbon neutral. The announcement [...]
Energy Economics
About two years ago, on July 1 2008, the Canadian Province of British Columbia introduced the first ever carbon tax in North America. At the time the tax sparked a great deal of controversy, but it is now being recognised as a good political gamble, and a very successful policy move.
The tax puts a price on carbon [...]
Energy Economics, Featured
This week the Western Australian Government progressed the approvals for four new coal-fired power plants. These plants will lock-in greenhouse-intensive power generation, and maximum cost exposure from a future carbon price, for decades. These plants will make it impossible for the State to meet the nationally-imposed 20% by 2020 Renewable Energy Target. Current renewable generation [...]
Featured
In 2002 the Western Australian Government set a target to reduce energy consumption by 12% from 2001/2 levels by 2006/7. A report recently released by the Auditor General has found that the government’s energy efficiency programs have not met the target, with the government achieving just a 0.1% reduction.
At HAC we have engaged with many [...]
General
At a recent meeting of local government sustainability officers hosted by the WA Local Government Association, we presented an analysis comparing the environmental, economic and social benefits for a range of greenhouse abatement options available to the City of Cockburn.
While there is no shortage of positive actions a City can take – including GreenPower, local [...]