Saturday, July 4, 2009

CarbonSignal

Smart discussion on a carbon constrained future

CEOs not ready for carbon costs

Posted under Emissions Trading

A survey of 151 Australian CEOs found that many large businesses have not accounted for carbon costs in their corporate strategy, and around a quarter of those surveyed had not yet taken any action to prepare for the impending carbon pollution reduction scheme.
The survey also found that only 20.5% had designated executive level responsibility for [...]

Melbourne to Host International Clean Energy Expo

Posted under General

The Victorian Minster for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor, has announced that Melbourne will be the first State to host the prestigious All-Energy Expo.  The conference has been held in Aberdeen, Scotland since 2001, and has become Europe’s largest renewable exhibition.  According to the press release, last year’s event attracted over 5,000 participants.
“The Brumby Government [...]

Ontario Locks-in Aggressive Feed-in Tariffs

Posted under Energy Economics

About two months ago we noted the announcement by the Green Energy Act Alliance in Canada, that an aggressive feed-in tariff would be put before the Ontario Provincial Legislature.  The ambitious plan was to create the price signals that would rapidly increase the uptake of renewable energy in the Province, triggering an influx of private [...]

The Tata Nano - is this a good thing?

Posted under Featured, Transport Energy

In July the rubber hits the road for the world’s cheapest car - the Tata Nano.  The car will sell for less than $3,000 AUD and demand is so strong they have decided that the first 100,000 customers will be chosen by lottery.
The Nano represents a massive change in personal transport.  Chairman Ratan Tata says,
“We [...]

Smart grid technology - what will it take?

Posted under Energy Efficiency, Featured

Obama’s stimulus act allocates $4.5 billion USD to develop a smart grid in the US.  This is a hefty chunk of change, but is it enough to kickstart a widespread transformation of the electricity infrastructure?
There are many possible smart grid configurations and technologies, but the fundamental concept is that information exchange between power generators and [...]

Private industry answers the call for large-scale renewable energy

Posted under Featured, HAC news

These days most companies are cutting costs and pulling back on major capital projects.  Banks are reluctant to lend and investment dollars are shifting to low-risk safe havens.
Australian companies have bucked this trend.  The government’s Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP) has elicited a staggering number of large-scale renewable energy applications.  The REDP set out to [...]

Emissions Trading

CEOs not ready for carbon costs

A survey of 151 Australian CEOs found that many large businesses have not accounted for carbon costs in their corporate strategy, and around a quarter of those surveyed had not yet taken any action to prepare for the impending carbon pollution reduction scheme.
The survey also found that only 20.5% had designated executive level responsibility for [...]

Emissions Trading

Carbon offset price recovery

The latest trading update from EcoSecurities indicates the underlying strength in the recent carbon offset price recovery.  EcoSecurities’ Cash balance increased to 53 million euros at the end of Q1/09, from 38.7 million at the end of Q4/08.
Reuters reports,
“The progress that EcoSecurities made in the second half of 2008 continued in 2009 with deliveries [...]

Emissions Trading, Featured

ETS laws could be pushed back to 2010

There were two main news items on the emissions trading front this week:
1)  Yesterday the Climate Institute released a study showing that the emissions trading Bill currently before parliament would create a jobs boom, with 26,500 jobs already planned nationwide.   Chief executive John Connor said “it’s time the polluters and politicians stopped arguing about climate [...]

Energy Economics

Ontario Locks-in Aggressive Feed-in Tariffs

About two months ago we noted the announcement by the Green Energy Act Alliance in Canada, that an aggressive feed-in tariff would be put before the Ontario Provincial Legislature.  The ambitious plan was to create the price signals that would rapidly increase the uptake of renewable energy in the Province, triggering an influx of private [...]

Emissions Trading, Featured

The Irony in Rudd’s ETS backflip

Since Rudd announced a one year delay to the start of emissions trading, Australia’s newspapers have been jam-packed with carbon-related editorials.
Australian businesses may choose to do nothing for another year, but this would be a risky strategy.  Giles Parkinson writes in Saturday’s Australian that,
“…there is one inevitability for corporate Australia:  whatever the final shape of [...]

Featured, HAC news

Private industry answers the call for large-scale renewable energy

These days most companies are cutting costs and pulling back on major capital projects.  Banks are reluctant to lend and investment dollars are shifting to low-risk safe havens.
Australian companies have bucked this trend.  The government’s Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP) has elicited a staggering number of large-scale renewable energy applications.  The REDP set out to [...]