Author: Peter Gardner

A recent tweet by Professor Erik Eklund of the Centre for Gippsland Studies highlighted the pumped hydro opportunities in Gippsland, particularly in the Baw Baw area. He outlined the work of Andrew Blakers and team of ANU who identified more than 22,000 possible pumped hydro sites many of them in Gippsland.

I used Erik’s tweet to bring to notice again the work of Paul Treasure’s proposal of 2 years go for a pumped hydro project in the Baw Baws that was about the same size as Snowy 2 and had far less of the latter project’s environmental downsides. Paul’s proposal had numerous other advantages including jobs for the Latrobe Valley and a ready labour pool; it utilised the Thompson dam as the lower dam in the project; it was close to other infrastructure, in particular the high voltage transmission lines to Melbourne. When completed the project would have the capacity to replace the aging Yallourn Power station.

The Friends of the Earth in their Blueprint was one of the few organisations that acknowledged the value of this proposal when they stated: “The blueprint also noted that the selection of pumped hydro projects should be fast tracked of which there are a number of possibilities in Gippsland including Paul Treasure’s Baw Baw Thompson Dam pumped hydro proposal.” Paul’s proposal was also republished by the Independent Australia website.

As well there have been a number of other smaller pumped hydro projects energy storage options including one proposed by Chris Barfoot, which, from memory, used Lake Narracan as the top dam and the Yallourn open cut as the bottom one. The Hazlewood open cut appears unsuitable for this purpose.

This leads us to the question of whether there is anyone working on any of these pumped hydro proposals anywhere in government at a State or local. As far as I am aware, there is no one. Yet the benefits to the state and the region could be enormous if one (or more) of the larger of these projects was seen through to fruition. I am also unaware of any politician at the State or local level to have considered the advantages of pumped hydro for the region, let alone promoted them in any way.

Republished from Bass Coast Post

This week Bass Coast Council committed to buying all its electricity from renewable sources in Victoria. We are teaming with several metropolitan councils to source 100 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources through the Local Government Power Purchase Agreement, a project led by the City of Darebin. By working with the large metropolitan councils, Bass Coast gains access to strong expertise and will achieve significant purchasing power and better pricing. Power purchasing agreements are a powerful tool in encouraging renewable energy projects and this agreement may well underpin new projects in Victoria.

This is  another step toward net zero emissions for Bass Coast and sits well with other low emission projects by Council that include significant solar projects and work to plan for the uptake of electric vehicles in the region. The renewable electricity project further demonstrates significant leadership from local government in addressing Victoria’s carbon emissions.

 Last year Bass Coast declared a climate emergency and committed to zero net emissions by 2030. Since then we have set about a thorough process to plan for the council to achieve net zero emissions and to work with the community to achieve community-wide net zero emissions by 2030.

Importantly, the Local Government Power Purchase Agreement is flexible, allowing for Bass Coast to withdraw demand and commit to a local purchasing agreement to support local community energy projects in the future. Such projects may form a significant part of the climate emergency plan currently being worked on by the council.

Community energy projects could play a significant role in reducing emissions while giving communities price certainty and protection from the price spirals driven by the major retailers and the gold plating that has occurred on the grid. Local projects support local investment and lead to local green jobs. The Energy Innovation Co-operative recently completed a renewable energy project involving solar panels and battery storage at the State Coal Mine historical precinct. This project employed local contractors and provides income for other community projects.

The rate of take up of rooftop solar has been excellent and rewarding for those who can afford it. However, many people in the community – renters and those struggling to make ends meet – are left behind. Community energy projects are a way of supporting the whole community to benefit. The council will soon consider the shire’s Climate Emergency Plan. It will provide a comprehensive roadmap for achieving net zero emissions by 2030 and plan for addressing the impacts of climate change already being felt across the Shire. It is pleasing to see our council is already on the way to achieving 100 per cent renewable energy.

Cr Michael Whelan is Bass Coast Council’s representative on the South East Council’s Climate Change Alliance, the Western Port Biosphere Reserve and the Regional Renewable Energy Roadmap.

Recent news in the renewable energy sector has been concentrating on the proposed New South Wales Renewable Energy zones located in the State’s central west and New England regions now being fast-tracked by the NSW government. In terms of gigawatts capacity the proposals and expressions of interest for the central west zone have been nine times greater than the figure of 3GW that the government nominated. There is no doubt that this high level of interest will continue for the planned New England Energy Zone and it indicates there is no shortage of finance or project ideas when there is strong government support.

A similar, but much smaller, project – a park rather than a zone – initiated by private interests, and located in South Gippland near Giffard, has been on the ‘drawing boards’ for some time. A company representative recently provided details of this project at a zoom lecture delivered to Bairnsdale U3A and similar details were published in the Gippsland Times last December.

The 2347 ha of land the project has acquired is low value dry land pasture and, importantly, sits on top of the Basslink cable. Many of the solar and wind projects in the west have had trouble with the mains power line capacity being insufficient to carry the total power they all generate. Strategically locating by Basslink will enable the full energy production of the park to be utilised.

The Park will carry both wind and solar generation and has had expressions of interest for the production of green hydrogen and the inclusion of a gas ‘peaker’. During the lecture to the U3A I queried the company representative on the last part of the plan and he assured me that the ‘peaker’ will be powered by green hydrogen. The basic project plans for 500 MW of solar panels and another 500 MW of battery storage and be built in stages.

The Times article noted that: “the proposed Gippsland Renewable Energy Park had received support from the Victorian government, proponents had briefed Gippsland MHR Darren Chester and Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien, and the project was also fully supported by the Wellington Shire Council”. Whilst this is encouraging it is not enough. This project should be promoted by all of these individuals and administrations, loudly and continuously, and be fast-tracked by the state government. So far the voices of the local members, both State and Federal, remain unheard on this, and other related matters.

*The development company Solis has two other solar farm plans in the pipeline including Perry Bridge which will be ‘shovel ready’ by November.

Excerpt from EGCAN Submission

To respond effectively and with the urgency that is required to make a difference, our governments need to spend with the confidence and conviction that has been shown in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be a substantial cost but the advantages of appropriate and effective action will far outweigh the enormous cost of inaction. All the evidence shows clear savings to early action on global warming. If we can limit carbon output in partnership with renewable industries we can weather the climate change storm that is coming.

We can reap the benefits of living in more comfortable homes, powered by cheap renewable energy. Our economy has the capacity to be a world leader and indeed an exporter of renewable energy in the form of green hydrogen, steel, concrete and other products. We will have a vibrant sustainable economy that other nations will aspire to. 

The economic disruption caused by Covid 19 has shown us how quickly circumstances can change – we have an opportunity now to embrace green technologies, opt for clean energy and clean industry (green steel, aluminium and hydrogen) in stimulating our economy​. ​ There will be jobs and more resilience by building back stronger and cleaner. 

Efforts to continue embedding energy saving measures into every aspect of our domestic, industrial, agricultural, economic and transport activities are certainly to be prioritised. Chief Scientist Alan Finkel recently stated “There is no lack of appreciation from myself or my colleagues on the taskforce … that a gigawatt of power not needed because you’ve done an efficiency measure is the best form of energy generation that you could possibly ever hope to have.” (Guardian 06 /20)

EGCAN noted this discussion paper became part of a national conversation when released in May 2020. We anticipate that along with development of the Technology Investment Roadmap there is ongoing publicity and awareness raising across Australia of the enormous potential of renewable energy technologies, celebrating their ability to create new jobs and move us towards zero emissions. 

 

Excerpts from EGCAN Submission

EGCAN recognises there is an urgent need to reach net zero emissions. ​In listening to the scientists and experts we know that this is the decade to make a difference. If we are to keep warming under 1.5 degrees and thus minimise the devastation of more extremes in weather, rising oceans, habitat and biodiversity loss our actions must be bolder, more ambitious and immediate if we are to achieve a safe future.

There is no place for fossil fuels – COAL, OIL OR GAS – in our economy. We must transition to renewables and a low carbon economy as a matter of extreme urgency. If we neglect to transition to renewable energy, the costs will be many fold.

Unacceptable costs:

            ● Increases in changes to our climate.

            ● An increase in droughts and extremes of weather. 

            ● Wilder and more uncontrollable bushfires, starting earlier and ending later. 

            ● Reduced agricultural output. 

            ● Increased expenditure on mitigation of the changes. 

            ● Mass extinction of flora and fauna. 

            ● Reduced liveable areas in Australia and the world.

            ● Significant rises in sea levels.

On top of these predicted outcomes are the somewhat unknown but severe effects caused by having reached crucial tipping points. Melted permafrost in Greenland and Antarctica are expected to lead to dramatic increases in methane release. Methane release of this magnitude will result in global warming faster than projected conservative modelling.

Renewable energy is our future 

            ● Australia can be a global renewables-led powerhouse, millions of jobs can be created. (BZE) 

            ● Wind and solar could provide ​up to 75% of Australia’s electricity by 2025​ (AEMO).

            ● Renewable energy combined with storage is the cleanest form of new energy generation.

            ● Renewables have come down in price every year for the last decade. Wind and solar are now the most affordable new power projects, already cheaper than coal and gas generation.

Quarterly Essay No.70 2020 RRP $22.99

This essay, mainly economic history, documents the rise of the climate change deniers on the conservative side of politics. Brett states: “Australia has been cursed with a decade of poor national leadership on climate change, with our prime ministers lacking either the courage or the intellect to develop coherent policy responses to the threat…” (p.7)  and the proceeds to analyse how “climate change denial gain[ed] such a deadly grip on our political class”.(p.8)

Brett charts this long road to political dominance with the influence and actions of the big miners, and in particular the efforts of Hugh Morgan of Western Mining Corporation – from their opposition to land rights through to the rejection of the resources rent tax in 2010 and the decade of climate denial. In effect, this is really two decades with a brief interregnum of the Gillard minority government.

After the formation of the Lavoisier Group, of whom few will have heard, and the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) holus bolus adoption of anti-science climate policies, the deniers had the ear of every conservative government since John Howard in 1996 – aided in many aspects by the Murdoch press. Brett notes: “After Howard won the 1996 election it became easy for the mining lobby to prevent action on climate change” (p.47) and “climate denial and scepticism spread through the Australian right”. (p.49)

Later under “Abbott the two decades of cultivation of a network of climate sceptics and deniers by the Lavoisier Group and the IPA paid off in spades. Abbott was openly and repeatedly sceptical about the science of climate change and, with his imprimatur, a hard core of climate sceptics formed inside the Coalition determined to stymie any policies aimed at reducing Australia’s carbon emissions.” (p.58)

Brett further adds that the “denigration of science has not only affected climate science it has undermined the nation’s commitment to research and development more broadly and to foster a silly hostility to new renewable energy technologies.” (p.59) “The National Party has become the party of coal…” (p.63) she adds and “Capital is deserting fossil fuels… (p.69)

Finally Brett points out that being the international pariah on climate change has its downside and substantial future risk, like countries adopting carbon tariffs to preference against our exports or the finance industry applying “global capital boycotts.” (p.70)  Hopefully the influence of these climate criminals, and their supporters in the IPA and the Murdoch media, will decline as their industry does. In the meantime, let us find outstanding conservative and/or centrist candidates to oppose every climate reactionary in parliament and hope the path Zali Steggall pioneered in Wahringa against Abbott will be followed by many others.

Excerpts from an article in Just Community No 6

“Energy policy has enormous implications for climate change and gas does not provide a climate solution, it is a climate problem. Gas produces fossil fuel CO2 emissions when burned, albeit about half as much as coal. However, a key concern is leakage of methane – a strong greenhouse gas – during gas extraction and across the distribution supply line. Knowing these concerns leads to another: there are large known reserves of gas in the ground, which gas companies want to exploit.

“Opening up onshore gas fields contrasts with the Victorian Government’s positive move to increase its Renewable Energy Target (VRET) to 50 per cent by 2030, and Victoria’s Climate Change Act 2017, which established a longterm target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The IPCC said we must reach net zero carbon emissions globally by about 2050 to give the world a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C.

“A workshop presenter described gas as a transition fuel to firm up supply as Victoria moves to renewables. I put this to the Climate Council and they responded: “There is no need for gas to play a role in ‘transitioning’ to renewable energy. Australia has everything it needs to make deep, enduring and immediate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. We already have the storage technology available (such as pumped hydro and batteries), we just need the political will to implement these solutions.”

“Australia produces a lot of gas (it is now the world leading LNG exporter) and we don’t need new gas development. We need to transition out of fossil fuels not into new fossil fuel reserves.

“Whilst federal energy policy direction is acceptable to the fossil fuel industry, it is not compatible with addressing the climate crisis.

“East Gippsland experienced a summer of unprecedented bushfire this year. A bushfire prone region containing active gas wells would seem a dangerous mix, particularly as the Australian bushfire season and catastrophic bushfire conditions increase under climate change. Yet bushfire risk does not appear to have been mapped into the VGP model of ‘landscape sensitivities’ in the Gippsland Basin. Recall that the Hazlewood fire was ignited by a bushfire burning into the brown coal reserve.

“Abundant, affordable carbon-free energy is an essential requirement for solving the climate problem. Australia’s summer of shocking bush fires are symbolic of the consequences of global warming if we do not alter our trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy policy that includes new gas exploration and development needs to be rejected. 

Fish Creek

Having just passed the winter solstice, and lived through our black summer, I realise that I am dreading the next summer from hell. The bushfires were bad enough – spending most of the summer in the smoke, having evacuation orders and on two occasions with Bairnsdale, the largest town in our region, threatened. When one wakes through the night to check the winds and the possibility of ember attack the fire is as close as you ever want it to come.

Last summer was the third time I have closely experienced monster bushfires in the last 20 years – 2003, 2006-7 and 2019-20 – in each case the fires burning the whole summer. Now the experts at the Bushfires Royal Commission have predicted that we will have another monster bushfire before 2030, possibly two.

It is not so much the bushfires I dread as the next big heatwave. The first heatwave I clearly recall was in February 2009 in the days running up to Black Saturday. Our house at the time had inadequate the roof insulation and for cooling we had several portable fans. By the fourth night, temperatures remained so high during the night that sleep was extremely difficult and in the morning, it was still above 30 degrees inside the house.

Now in our all-electric house we have reverse cycle air conditioning and improved roof insulation. In the ‘summer from hell’ our centralised, coal-fired, greenhouse gas producing, power system is the weak link. Most of the coal-fired generators in our country are aging and, even in periods without any stress, the generating units close down for maintenance or occasionally break down.

Imagine the following. “As the heatwave progresses, the generators come under increasing stress, both through the extra demands for cooling the plant, and the increased demand for energy to power the air-cons that everyone has switched on. When one or more of the units at the old clunker at Yallourn W breaks down the load on an already stressed system of the east coast grid is increased.

“By the third day of heat the places on the periphery of our grid – Mallacoota Dargo, Omeo – experience brown-outs and black-outs, possibly of some duration leaving residents with no power, unless they have batteries or a back-up generator. Blackouts occur in large areas of the State, including East Gippsland, when the interconnectors between the States trip.

“On the fourth day, most of the temperatures overnight are desperately high approaching 30 degrees. The bats in the colony on the Mitchell River have been dying for days, and there are only a few survivors left. Large numbers of residents needing treatment for heat exhaustion overwhelm our hospital. Heat fatalities mount up in the young, the elderly, and the sick.

An event something like this will occur locally in the next 10 or 15 years. It will not be the first, for in the last decade Bairnsdale has already experienced heatwaves with temperatures over 42 degrees on three occasions. The ‘canary in the coal mine’ has been the flying fox colony whose numbers have been decimated by each of these events. The flying fox fatalities are warning us of our own vulnerability to an overheating planet. With the next ‘summer from hell’, will there be human casualties to match?

Letter in the Bairnsdale Advertiser 24.6

The past can’t be undone, but the future can be shaped. And what’s so very obvious is that Climate Change is shaping our present. And the future. A succession of esteemed and expert witnesses at the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Management have reiterated that Climate Change is what we are living with right now. It was here before Covid-19, and will be continuing on long after the Covid-19 crisis has abated. 

Unlike Covid-19 where a vaccine is still to be developed and tested, there is absolute clarity around what we can and should do now to mitigate ongoing natural disasters, due to Climate Change. At the Royal Commission hearing, Bureau of Meteorology’s head of Climate Monitoring, Karl Braganza presented to the inquiry in some detail the extent of carbon polluting in Australia and how it has changed our climate.

And how much worse it will get if there is no direct action. Right now. Already he said, the fire season is starting three months earlier in much of south-east Australia. Fire index readings that, in the past we would have seen at the beginning of Summer, we are now seeing at the beginning of Spring. Temperatures are higher, rainfall and humidity lower, soil and vegetation drier and westerly winds blowing from the arid centre of the continent are more frequent.

With memories of the horrific summer months fresh in the minds of all Gippsland residents and beyond, complacency has no place in our present as we shape the future. 

We, as a community, must insist that East Gippsland Shire Council takes this crisis seriously and acts decisively to protect us. Our lives depend on it.

I have used a number of analogies to show why the climate emergency is upon us and that urgent action is required. In particular, I used that of the inertia involved in Titanic’s progression towards the iceberg showing that by the time the iceberg was sighted it was already too late for the ship to avoid the catastrophic collision. But the Titanic analogy is insufficient as we are still turning up the earth’s thermostat by continuing to put more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, whereas the ship closed down its engines immediately. To complete the analogy it would have been “full speed ahead” with a guaranteed disaster and no hope of escape.

I was reminded of the failure of most of us to comprehend this emergency in a recent zoom lecture given by a State government employee who listed their renewable energy efforts to combat global warming. Amongst the list he gave were two projects that I have criticised on a number of occasions – the coal to hydrogen and associated carbon, capture and storage projects and the waste to energy projects – both in the Latrobe Valley and both large greenhouse gas emitters. 

These projects have two obvious disadvantages – they both produce carbon dioxide and they are years down the track, let alone the fact that the earth has yet to see a successful carbon capture and storage operation. These projects are part of the ‘business as usual’ agenda and highlight the fact that our governments are taking advice from business interests and ignoring the best science. These policies indicate that a substantial number of bureaucrats and politicians have yet to comprehend the climate emergency.

The emergency implies the following. Governments will have a major role to play in planning, financing, organising and training labour and many other activities. The first actions will be to abandon support for any project that is not carbon neutral and especially so with unproven technology, including all proposals for mining or exploitation of fossil fuels. Renewable energy projects of all sizes should be assisted in some way, and in the case of the large-scale projects like the Star of the South fast-forwarded. The electrification of industry and transportation must also be a high priority. Where possible community consideration and employment should be an important priority but the emergency implies that all unreasonable opposition is ignored. There will probably be a carbon tax somewhere in there too.

When we have achieved zero emissions, we then must devote all our energy to carbon drawdown or sequestration – currently afforestation, soil carbon and a few other forms. When all the carbon emitting projects – including coal to hydrogen and waste to energy – disappear from the government’s agenda, we will know they are beginning to comprehend the climate emergency.