EPIA Submissions to Government
Key Goals and Principles of a Post-COVID-19 National Energy Plan (May 2020)
EPIA warmly supports the Government’s position that economic recovery post-COVID-19 should be pursued by a pro-growth agenda. EPIA maintains that energy is an indispensable component of such an agenda. EPIA posits that, over the next decade, Australia should have a National Energy Plan to move towards a pro-growth, more resilient, diverse, decarbonised, innovative and productive energy sector. This is the first edition of EPIA’s Key Goals and Principles of a Post-COVID-19 National Energy Plan
EPIA submission to Government (July 2019)
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The Australian Senate’s Inquiry into the Coal-Fired Power Funding Prohibition Bill 2017 (‘Commonwealth Coal-Fired Power Prohibition Bill’) and
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The New South Wales Legislative Council’s Inquiry into the Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibition) Bill (‘NSW Uranium Mining and Nuclear Repeal Bill’).
Both bills are concerned with discriminatory and politically-motivated policy, the first with a Greens Party proposal at Commonwealth level to discriminate against coalfired power generation and the second with a One Nation Party proposal at State level in New South Wales to remove a longstanding discriminatory prohibition against nuclear power generation.
Response to the Energy Green Paper (November 2014)
The Institute's response to the Energy Green Paper is now available.
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It contains nine recommendations, framed as a single package. In summary we are making two main points.
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Firstly, that the principle of technology neutrality is critical to Australia's future energy policy. Energy wars only do damage to the economy, industry and the community (Recommendation 1).
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Secondly, Australia cannot arrive at, much less pursue, a long-term national energy vision simply by the Commonwealth publishing a White Paper every time there is a change of government. An independent review mechanism is required to bring together the necessary resources and expertise in a way that is attuned to industry and community concerns. A task force that reports to the COAG Energy Council may be as good a place as any to start (Recommendation 8).
Integrating Australian Energy and Climate Policy
(30 August 2013)
In its proposal to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Federal Opposition, the Energy Policy Institute of Australia calls for the establishment of an independent National Energy Commission to integrate its energy and energy-related climate policies.
It is the view of the Institute that Australia's existing energy and climate policies and measures are in disarray. They lack any unity of purpose and they lack any enabling mechanism to work towards any unity of purpose. Because of this, they do not enjoy an adequate level of industry or community trust.
Australia's lack of policy integration causes inefficiency, it damages the nation's investment reputation and it diminishes the national's international competitiveness.
Energy Policy and Climate Policy Must Be Integrated
(3 August 2009)
This topical paper recommends that governments around the world, including Australia, should integrate their energy and climate policies. The main points addressed in the paper are:
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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.
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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.
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Climate policies should not be left to climate officials alone - climate and energy policies must be integrated to produce commercial solutions.
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In August 2008, the UK recognised this and established a Department of Energy and Climate Change to address the problem.
This paper has been submitted by the Energy Policy Institute to Australian Government Ministers and to the Australian Energy White Paper process.
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.