Six weeks into summer and eight months after a decisive federal election that supposedly ended the carbon wars, and climate change policy is well and truly back on the agenda. It was bound to happen, so fragile is the power system and tinder-dry the country. Unfortunately, we are only are halfway through summer. Worse is likely just around the corner.

It is now time for governments to take charge of our energy future. Developing an ever more complex market and taking years to do so, which is the current approach, is no answer to our problems. It is just more of the same. A new approach is needed and one that directly addresses the problems we face.