The latest edition of the EA Newsletter was published on 28 April.     Download here .

This annual review of Australia's energy sector was held in Brisbane on 25 March.  Click on the individual speaker’s name to download presentations.   

• Opening Address: Australian Energy Policy Developments : Drew Clarke, Deputy Secretary, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism Energy
• Technologies for the Future : Dr Alex Wonhas, Director, CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship
• The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry : Damian Dwyer, Director, Energy Markets & Climate Change, APPEA
• Coal and a Clean Energy Future : Peter Morris, Director - Economic Policy, Australian Coal Association
• Getting Gas Going : Warring Neilsen, Chairman, Gas Industry Alliance
• Renewable Energy : Matthew Warren, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Energy Council  
• Geothermal Energy : Susan Jeanes, Chief Executive, Australian Geothermal Energy Association
• Queensland’s Energy Supermarket : Michael Roche, Chief Executive, Queensland Resources Council
• Uranium and Nuclear Power : Michael Angwin, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Uranium Association
• The Minerals Industry : Sid Marris, Assistant Director – Corporate Affairs, Minerals Council of Australia 

Guest international speaker Barry Worthington, Executive Director, US Energy Association; and Malcolm Roberts, Executive Director, National Generators Forum did not use Powerpoint with their addresses.  The Young Energy Professional Group gave a presentation on The Optimal Energy Mix in 2030 based on the outcomes of the (Y)ESON workshop held on 24 March. 

The Energy Alliance of Australia acknowledges with appreciation the support of the Queensland Resources Council. 

At the International Electricity Chief Executive Summit held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in October  2008, electricity leaders formed an International Electricity Partnership (IEP) to deliver advanced electric technologies to create a global low-carbon future. They stated: “The industry leaders believe that electricity can be the solution to climate change”. It was agreed that “new technology, with an adequate transition period, can accommodate the objective of stabilizing of carbon emissions from all sources; and, with aggressive application of technology, carbon emissions reductions of 60 to 80 percent can be achieved by 2050”.

This Roadmap report examines the technologies and policies that are required to deliver this low-carbon future.

Available for download from the Energy Supply Association of Australia website.  

Prepared by Executive Director, Robert Pritchard and published with the authority of the EA Executive the attached paper “Climate Finance Falls Short” is a response to the G20 Leaders Statement in Pittsburgh directing G20 Finance Ministers to consider proposals for the provision of climate finance.

It highlights the interconnectedness of climate, energy, energy technology, finance and politics and suggests that immediate consideration be given to the institution of a study into the establishment of a G20-led Low-Emissions Energy Fund to provide finance on concessional terms to borrowers who use the best available, nationally appropriate energy technologies.

 DOWNLOAD  the full report here.

• There are too many overlapping and uncertain climate policies - over 1000 policies have been introduced around the world since 1990 but, despite all these efforts, global emissions continue to rise.
• The present policy approach is not completely rational - governments cannot just set emission targets and hope for the best - there is also a need for low-emission technology strategies to deliver the abatement required.
• Climate policies should not be left to climate officials alone - climate and energy policies must be integrated to produce commercial solutions.
• In August 2008, the UK recognised this and established a Department of Energy and Climate Change to address the problem.

It has also been submitted to the World Energy Council in London and will be considered by the World Energy Council at its annual meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland in September 2009.

  DOWNLOAD  the full paper here.

What actions need to be taken in connection with regulatory and infrastructure frameworks  to develop and preserve the energy supply options necessary to provide an optimal energy mix for Australia in a carbon constrained world?

  DOWNLOAD the presentation. 

The review shows that the global credit crunch has caused the pool of global capital available to the industry to shrink, and has caused most foreign banks to withdraw from the Australian project financing market.

The main conclusions of this review were:

• the withdrawal of foreign banks has created a funding gap in the economy;
• Australian energy companies need access to substantial capital to help Australia work its way out of the recession but many now face an acute financing dilemma, with some companies having difficulty in refinancing existing debt facilities;
• most companies will have to rely on equity markets to raise capital - which will only be possible if significant discounts are offered against current share prices;
• many small to medium energy companies, as well as some of the larger over-geared ones, may need to defer investments and divest assets;
• considerable M and A activity and other rationalisation is likely to take place in the Australian energy industry.

DOWNLOAD the full report.