March 3, 2022
THE GND IS TOO CAUTIOUS:
Australia can reach net zero emissions much quicker than 2050. Here's how (Anna Malos & Simon Graham 3 March 2022, Renew Economy)
The way we generate electricity is changing the fastest. Over the last decade, we have tripled the share of renewables in Australia's generation mix to over 20%.We have more than enough sun and wind to make the renewable share as high as 80% by 2030, and almost 100% by 2035. We can manage that even though electricity demand is expected to double by 2050.We even have the renewable resources to produce more electricity than we use, and export the surplus. Tasmania, for example, has legislated a 200% renewable energy target by 2040 - meaning they can export the excess power.We have the technologies we need for this kind of scale. All we have to do is plan the transition properly, so the wave of cheap renewable power arrives as coal and gas exit. Done right, we'll all benefit from cheaper power. State governments and operators of the energy market have shown how this can be done.There will still be mining jobs, as the world demands our green tech minerals such as lithium, cobalt and copper. And we have huge opportunities to benefit from our ever-cheaper renewables through nation-building megaprojects where Australian renewables are sent under the sea to Asia, or converted to green hydrogen and shipped in place of fossil gas exports.Buildings: near zero within 13 years, with a boost to comfortable livingAs we shift to clean electricity, we unlock emissions reductions across the economy. We'll see this most clearly in our homes and commercial buildings.How? Look at the all-electric, 7-star new buildings under construction by some of Australia's largest property developers. For those of us in older houses, large-scale retrofitting would enable us to reach near zero emissions by 2035 at lowest cost.The benefit? Lower energy bills and more comfortable living, as we fix the well-known issues with insulation and air leakage. The energy use per Australian household could be halved by 2030 if available technologies are rolled out in Australian markets.
Posted by Orrin Judd at March 3, 2022 12:00 AM
